tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70191124427055741722024-02-20T21:43:40.268-05:00Fighting Foreclosure - Getting Nine HundredOne woman's goal to fight foreclosure by getting nine hundred dollars more a month - without ending up in jail, dying of starvation or going insane.Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.comBlogger441125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-40240866307225844902010-02-23T11:12:00.004-05:002010-02-23T11:22:18.386-05:00Prepping an Apartment for Rent - Views of a Landlord<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarous/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOyoCyFnYpQjzeFzfNJZpBpbS3C9fiynvMmn4RMKE0JrUBWlJeEkKohzKcRBCuHdvLzZJYSd2EYBITIIdih9K4vl0KeF9dz9_BYRLWOz3PAa47OW_ryQNkthf92_K8COZ_0j8kQGsfcM/s320/3189212930_88a0f1d1a8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441474397226713378" border="0" /></a>In the comments of <a href="http://gettingninehundred.blogspot.com/2010/02/busy-times-drastic-measures.html">a post from last</a> week <a href="http://esperanza173.blogspot.com/">Esperanza</a> said that, as a renter herself, she would be interested in hearing more about the rental process from a landlord’s perspective. I am happy to do that! Since I have an apartment that needs renting right now, I will be sure to write about the process as I go through it.<br /><br />When it comes to apartments, my feeling is “Better rental = better tenant.” It is just that simple. If a person rents an apartment that is beat up or dirty, what reason do they have to take care of it? If the <span style="font-weight: bold;">owner</span> of the unit doesn’t care enough about it to keep it looking nice, why should the tenant? I know there are lots of slumlords out there who have different goals for their properties, but that is not the kind of person I am. Plus, from a business perspective - I don’t want the hassles that come with renting to people who are likely to destroy their apartment or people I need to evict. This apartment is in my own home, I want it to be a lovely place for someone to live - a place they can take pride in. My own conscience will not allow me to rent out a place that I wouldn’t be willing to live in myself.<br /><br />So to that, whenever a tenant moves out, I take that as an opportunity to do some home improvement. My ex husband owned another home that had three rental units in it, and over the years we rebuilt bathrooms, re-tiled floors, had carpet re-stretched, added heating units, new windows, light fixtures and kitchen cabinets and of course, painted. My rental is actually in beautiful condition for the most part. The last tenant did a great job cleaning, and in my opinion, it is pretty much “renter ready.” However, since I don’t have anyone in it, this is a great chance to get a few things done... <span class="fullpost"><br /><br />The apartment is built out of a portion of the second floor of my home. The tenant has their own separate entrance from the front, and once you go through the door, you immediately go up the stairs. At the top of the stairwell is a small foyer area. This section was painted “apartment beige” and had gotten a bit beat up over the years from people moving in and so on. Also, there were some small pieces of trim that were broken and not looking their best.<br /><br />The other area that needed love was the kitchen. I had put new cabinets in it a few years ago, but now the walls needed some TLC. For one thing, they were painted screaming “Georgia peach.” I mean, it was so peach it was nearly fluorescent. (I obviously, had not picked out the color - it was there when I bought the house.) Over time some cracks had developed in the plaster, so the walls needed some repair work and a fresh coat of a more neutral paint color.<br /><br />Most of this is work I could have done myself, though honestly I wasn’t too keen on tackling the entryway molding. Since I was so busy this month, I decided to take the “easy” way out and hire someone to do it. The same gentleman who did the exterior paint on my home is working on it now. I would actually love to repaint the bathroom and the bedroom too, just to freshen them up, but neither is so bad that I <span style="font-style: italic;">have</span> to do it. It will entirely depend on my time and my energy level. If I do decide to do these rooms, I will probably do them myself with the help of some friends and family - since they don’t need anything but paint, they’re projects that could be done in a weekend.<br /><br />I will be taking a ton photos of the apartment for my advertisements, when I do, I will make sure to post some of the photos! I'll also keep writing about each step of the landlord process as it happens.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarous/">Clarous Maximus</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Via flickr</span></span></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-46721112746423267482010-02-22T13:24:00.004-05:002010-02-22T13:32:13.603-05:00Overworked and Under Stress<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardpluck/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 218px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cezOu9bcfy_OdyGbZwQHFMFZhmgXCeJ0XiQCFNjAqKb3Gx2tqijjXLNx1INwOhiz3OI61tSMY-r3DaEg2Ou2-t4m3fDQy37S7JqoHFdeZ8r82bP6A73fp9ABXytcthqNcaHvLERGbjw/s320/356785384_837c70f95a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441136943224254930" border="0" /></a>I am so very tired. I went to bed last night pretty early, but I still feel like curling up in a big ball under my desk and taking a nap. I think some of the extra work I have been doing, plus the stress from other areas of my life, has finally caught up with me.<br /><br />There is good news though, my current freelance project is wrapping up. I have 95% of it done - just a couple more loose ends to tie up and I should be all set! I admit, it feels really good to have that pretty much under control. I have another project I am also working on, but since I have a little downtime between this one finishing up and that one needing to be in full swing... I plan on taking advantage of that time for a little R&R.<br /><br />One of the things I think is really important in busy times is to take care of yourself. I work hard to try to eat healthy and get plenty of sleep. Ever heard of the expression, “Take care of your tools and they will take care of you”? It’s a good one and very apt. In this case my “tool” is my brain and my body. If I don’t make an effort to take decent care of myself, I’ll burn out - it is as simple as that. If I work myself to that state, it doesn’t matter how much extra money I make, it isn’t going to do me any good if I’m coming unglued.<br /><br />I’ve done quite well on the eating side of things. I’ve been able to make some simple dishes that I enjoy and that are easy to reheat and eat. No fast food for this gal - after all, fast food is rarely healthy, is too expensive and most times, it isn’t even ‘fast.” No thanks! Instead I’ve been living on hearty soups, simple dishes and a lot of healthy snacks. It’s been great! I’ve even lost a little weight.<br /><br />The sleep side of things, however, isn’t going as well...<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />I’ve scheduled naps, I’ve planned my schedule so I can get to bed early... all in vain. When you have insomnia, there isn’t a thing you can do. My problem is that my brain is racing - I’m awake thinking of what is going on in my life, what needs to be done, where I have to go, how much work is ahead and so on. I toss and turn and my mind is full of all that stuff, so even though I am going to bed early, it is still several hours before I can truly fall asleep.<br /><br />I know it is effecting me. In the last couple of days I can tell that I am on edge and not myself. I’ve said and done things that aren’t really like me, and I know that's the reason my office floor is looking so dang comfy right now.<br /><br />I have found one thing that helps though, and that is keeping a pad of paper and pen beside the bed. Just being able to get up and write down what is on my mind helps tremendously. Last night I was laying there with my eyes wide open thinking ...and thinking... and thinking... It was awful! Finally I turned on the light, grabbed my notebook and started writing down all the stuff that was keeping me up. I made a list of tasks that I needed to do today, I jotted down some thoughts for a couple of important emails I knew I had to write, and I also wrote out an idea I had about delicate situation that came up at work. Basically I got the information out of my head and onto the page.<br /><br />Once I admitted to myself that this was what I needed to do, I felt better. My brain was able to relax a little. Eventually I actually went to sleep.<br /><br />The reason I bring all this up is that I know from my own experience the same thing can happen when tackling finances too. When I first started working on mine, I had many a sleepless night. I was up thinking of solutions and things to try, things I needed to look into, and people I needed to talk to. Once again, I found that writing it all down helped. Don’t get me wrong, keeping a pad of paper by the bed it isn’t a cure for true insomnia, but it is a simple and inexpensive way to help your brain calm down in busy times. It is certainly worth a try!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardpluck/">Richard Pluck</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-41704173637317945802010-02-19T17:05:00.005-05:002010-02-19T17:58:17.223-05:00Spending a Little Too Much, Budgeting a Little Too Little<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dborman2/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXJS_Bl085_gYqOcgMCyzxXv2cE1zpoPB8-k79dga-uOd9OAsfuvzd2STKpGvlg811lCBDp3eWvDjIJfprw_S0iYgH3b8cE65ZccQSANfbLuo1xq38PKgEwLCxfMz9u3amCaIE1NbnYU/s320/money+in+my+pocket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440091975399246578" border="0" /></a>Has anyone else been getting a million spam comments on their blog? Ugh - it has been terrible lately! I like to allow anonymous comments, but the amount of spam lately is getting ridiculous. It always makes me wonder - does this stuff actually work? Apparently, or they wouldn't do so much of it, I guess.<br /><br />I mentioned that I haven't been budgeting as well as I should lately. I plan on changing that, but one thing I have noticed is that I have been spending a lot more as well. It is okay, I have the money and I am on target for many of my goals, but I still can't help but notice the increase. Some of it practical - like having the apartment painted and having some routine maintenance on my car, other of it has been social - spending time out and about with loved ones and friends. I can't say much of it is totally frivolous, but it is more than I would have been able to do just a few months ago.<br /><br />The question that I have been pondering has been: Am I spending more because I am not budgeting and watching every penny, or, am I spending more because I am making more money and feel that I can? My guess is, it's a little of both...<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Knowing I am making more money, that my basic needs are met and I don't need to worry about foreclosure like I once did, makes me feel more comfortable spending. Not keeping track of spending, makes it easy to underestimate how much I've spent. It's pretty much a vicious cycle.<br /><br />I don't feel bad about it though, and I am not going to beat myself up about it. It is what it is. It has been nice the last couple of months to feel the way that I did prior to all this drama - back before marriage and divorce, when I lived in a little apartment, well below my means. I've enjoyed not thinking about things too much.<br /><br />However, it won't continue. As I have said, my goal for the year is to build up my safety nets, and that won't happen through spending. I have also found another little odd fact... I like having a nice amount in my checking account. It makes me feel safe. Right now there is more in my checking account than I ever remember having - even back in "the good old days." It's a really good feeling - it is almost powerful. It's like knowing that I have this shield that will help get me through the hard times.<br /><br />Although, having been through hard times, I know just how fragile that is, so, time to buckle down, get serious, and get focused. More on that as plans develop!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">"money Shot" photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dborman2/">borman818</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-34807693687887218542010-02-17T16:52:00.004-05:002010-02-18T10:47:22.459-05:00Busy Times, Drastic Measures<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cincyproject/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5c7rBu1jVNXKNk-lbQ7RSdv0kpz1x7gHwJxlYmsrt2aQ-4nITx4O8iJgD6BsCByst5poreoEHr8NQfnrU3IUCA3LZj0mFPXKGIvS4ybVRxFCjDoPhS2LBYTEgLVOLXDdlrGQOvV-lcek/s320/3344771391_02b74ac075.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439333730163016802" border="0" /></a>So, I mentioned yesterday how busy I’ve been. I guess I don’t need to add that my budgeting has gone straight out the window - you can see that on my sidebar over there. Budgeting is one of those things that when I am keeping on top of it, it only takes a couple of minutes a day, but when I fall behind like I have, I tend to stall and stay behind.<br /><br />I could sort through my bank statements and figure out January and February, but the truth of the matter is, whatever has been spent has been spent. Right now I feel like the best way for me to get off on the right foot is to just start fresh in March. So far in this month I have made over $400 and am on track for my nine hundred dollar goal, and I feel pretty good about that.<br /><br />I will say though that having my budget from last year really helped with my taxes. It was simple for me to see how much I have spent on business items like gas, water and trash - all of which a portion is used by my tenant. So, once things slow down a bit, I do have some motivation to go back and, at the very least, record the numbers from last month.<br /><br />As for my tenant, that’s another kettle of fish... <span class="fullpost"><br /><br />My tenant moved out in January, so I did receive rent for that month. This is the first month that I did not get rent, but so far income-wise I am doing fine. I did take this opportunity to get some work done on the unit. I hired my house painter to come in and fix up the entryway-stairwell area (which needed both paint and trim replacement) and the kitchen (which had some cracks in the walls and needed painting.) He should be done with that this week. It cost me about $250. While I am sure I could have done it all myself for less, there has been <span style="font-style: italic;">no</span> time to do it. I’ve been swamped - that would have pushed me out even further. I decided that the cost per hour was completely worth it. This way when I slow down and can start showing the place, it will already be ready to go.<br /><br />Fortunately, the tenant left the apartment spotless. Seriously, I was amazed at what a good job she did cleaning up. So, the next step will be to get some photos and start advertising it. My friend Tracey recently was apartment hunting and she wrote me a fantastic email with all the kinds of things she was looking for when she rented her place, and which web sites she looked on. It was really helpful. I actually feel pretty confident about getting it out there and getting it rented.<br /><br />The one big thing I have left to do is type up a lease. I have some that have been used in the past, I just need to make one that someone can sign and turn in to me. I actually enjoy making forms, (it’s one of the things I do for my job,) but I am not looking forward to the time it is going to take to do it right. Ah well! It is too important not to take my time with it.<br /><br />My goal is to have someone in by April 1. I can show it through March and if I find someone right away, they can move in a little early. I’ll let you know how it all goes!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cincyproject/">cindyproject</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-14784243769173430772010-02-17T12:39:00.004-05:002010-02-17T12:46:53.648-05:00Working For a Living...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetim/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_DD_nDBO5oeM4kBWcArAtvbQv1cNZboQqtxRuoRfnXlnycDxH9ml4NkXIY8DAHMqhPl4Yes6rfHn7pSKMrVLtOHdEuu6z1j-2IAVRBCmbmwsjDquDR15ZM9pWyMeNmv8KUCVdweK4W8/s320/2462008923_da88dec9b3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439269124477969458" border="0" /></a>So, what the devil have I been up to? Well, working - and doing a ton of it.<br /><br />Back in October I was offered a neat little freelance project. It was doing some work that I knew something about, but an aspect of the job that I never actually done before. I was hired on by someone I knew at a local college. It’s the same place where I take classes whenever I can, and they like to use students; so, even though I am sure there are people who are more qualified to do the work, I got asked to do it. (Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I have worked many times with the gentleman who was head of this project, so he knows me and he knows my work.) I had a great time on it, appreciated the extra money, and was eternally grateful to my friend Shelly who had suggested me. And when all was said and done I thought, “Well, that was fun, I probably won’t be doing any more of that for awhile.”<br /><br />Then, in December, I got another call. Another manager (same college) called me and said he’d heard I’d worked on the other project. He wondered if I could help him out. I said yes and that project got under way in January and should be wrapped up sometime next week.<br /><br />But then, I got <span style="font-style: italic;">another</span> call...<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />It was the first gentleman again. This time he wasn’t working for the college, he was working for an independent group and had hired someone else... who had just quit on him. It turns out that the Pro that he had hired, who I know quite well (we’ll call her Kelsey) had just found out that someone very close to her has a fairly severe medical condition. Kelsey wanted to take time out to care for them and couldn’t do that and the freelance work. So, the question was, would I do it?<br /><br />The “exciting” part about all this was that my college freelance project and Kelsey’s project coincided. They completely overlap. I talked about this with the manager, but we decided that since neither project was huge, I could treat both projects like one big one and just work on them both at the same time.<br /><br />Now, don’t forget, all of this is going on while I still have a full time job and I volunteer on a regular basis, but the good thing about it is that the work can be done on in my free time. I can work on it on my lunch hours and after work. I can squeeze things in here and there and get a lot done that way. The hard thing though was that right in the middle of it, my part time job needed me for a week! A typical day looked like this:<br /><br />6:50 a.m. - get up, get ready, be at “real” job by 9:00 a.m.<br /><br />1:00 p.m. - leave job (I took 1/2 day of vacation time all week.)<br /><br />Spend one hour either running errands for freelance work or working on building things for it.<br /><br />2:30ish - Take a nap.<br /><br />3:30 - Get up, eat dinner<br /><br />4:30 - Be ready to go work at part time job<br /><br />11:30 to Midnight - Get home, relax for a few minutes, then go to bed and be ready to get up and start it all over again.<br /><br />Am I crazy? Maybe. But I can’t shake this feeling that my life arranged itself so that I could step in and help Kelsey just when she needed it. If I hadn’t done that first show in October or if I hadn’t accepted the second one in December, I wouldn’t have been ready to pick up her work and pitch in.<br /><br />Plus, don’t get me wrong, there is a financial benefit to me as well. I will be paid for my work, and I don’t have kids or a spouse so having a few weeks of chaos really isn’t the end of the world. If I can make a good living and help someone out at the same time, you know I’ll do it.<br /><br />...oh, and did I mention that <span style="font-style: italic;">another</span> manager called me to fill in for Kelsey for her work in April?<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetim/">The Tim</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-3357814634462471012010-02-16T16:22:00.005-05:002010-02-16T16:33:17.928-05:00Thoughts on Having Safety Nets<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/storrao/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BQR_9dfjAg9Xt3CNm-2pCj1OD72mRkVl2pyNKHi9x-SvHQIqXXnHs0ntUSX2R2nYVyoYXNTJZO7P1vqtoxGD7B8JWeLxgITkymcW1-R5yRb5K8ajGI14i9ucSzKMn6kvoUa6gzuvkWE/s320/3961625882_fbf5fe1763.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438956685460544258" border="0" /></a>We’re more than half the way through February and I am just starting to think about goals for the New Year. Honestly, I think I would like 2010 to be a year of rest. I’ve been feeling like Tarzan the last couple of years, swinging through the jungle of my life with crises for vines. I’ve swung from one traumatic problem to the next, barely touching the ground.<br /><br />Last year I had quite a few goals and plans for the year. Some I completed, some I didn’t. This year, however, I want to take a step back. I realize that one of the big reasons that my problems were able to completely take over my life was simply because I didn’t have a big enough safety net. Divorce... fighting foreclosure... landlord problems.... every issue has been able to put me into a state of panic. Even little problems in life were able to derail me.<br /><br />I have big dreams - going back to school, making some different career choices - but I realize that before I go jumping into something else, I need to take stock of where I am. Now, this isn’t to say I am going to sit around on the couch for a year and do nothing! If you’ve read my blog in the past, you know that I don’t let any moss gather on this stone! ...but, it does mean holding off on any major decisions, at least for a little while....<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Being divorced put me in the strange situation of having a home I couldn’t afford, so when I first moved in, all I could think about was selling it and getting out. Now, I’m a lot more settled and I don’t feel quite the push to “escape” as I once did. I realize that the housing market has a long way to go to recovery and I am okay with that. As I’ve mentioned many times, I would also like to go back to school - but that takes a lot of work and energy, and completely changes your day to day routines and personal life. While I still want to do it, it occurs to me that if I want to do it right, I’ll spend a little time preparing first.<br /><br />So, this is the year of mending and building nets - specifically, safety nets. I’m going to hunker down and build emergency savings accounts, I’m going to try to reconnect with family and friends in better ways, and I am going to try to try to get my ducks in a row, so when opportunity knocks - or crises bang down the door, I’m a little more prepared.<br /><br />Here’s an example:<br /><br />One of my goals for 2010 is to finish paying off my loan from my mother. My goal was to have it paid off by Christmas but, well, that didn’t quite happen. Why am I in this situation? Lack of safety nets! I ended up taking out the loan from my mother because I didn’t have quite enough money to finish paying for my to be house repainted last summer. I’m glad I got the house done, but I should have had a bigger pool of money set aside for the project before I even began it. Then, why didn’t I pay back my mom in full before Christmas? Again, lack of a safety net. I got the money to do it (I got a very nice year end bonus,) but I ended up taking most of it and putting it away into savings accounts because I was feeling nervous about not having them fleshed out enough. If those accounts had been better funded, I could have paid my mother back in no time at all.<br /><br />I don’t regret the choices that I have made. I know that I made the best decision that I could given the information and circumstances at the time, however, I’m tired of feeling like I am flying by the seat of my pants all the time. Granted, its exhilarating, but it gets a bit old. One can only spend so much time on a roller coaster, after all.<br /><br />So, to put it simply, I want to spend this year getting my house in order - both figuratively and literally. I would like it to be a year of fully funding my emergency fund, as well as setting aside money for the other things that come up in the course of a year - home repair, car repair, even tuition for seminars or classes I may want to take. I’m going to make a conscious decision to set aside some of the big things I’ve been wanting to do and instead, work on building a solid foundation. I’m going to continue to make my home a comfortable place to live, and organize it so it functions well with my busy lifestyle. Although I have some home repair projects I want to do, I’m going to put the big ones aside for now, and just work on the smaller ones when I have time and in my own fashion. I want to make more time for the people I love and try to strengthen those ties.<br /><br />Oh, I’ll still be working 87 part time jobs, but I’m now doing it so that eventually, I don’t have to. I’ve felt what it is like to be in freefall, scrambling to make ends meet. I am very proud of what I was able to achieve and that I came out of it pretty much intact... but I’d certainly like to avoid it happening again!<br /><br />There is this quote by Patrick Overton that goes like this:<br /><br />“When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take the step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for us to stand on or we will be taught to fly.”<br /><br />Great quote, but I can't help but think that in either case the leap is easier to make if you know there is a safety net down there waiting for you.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: ...<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/storrao/">storrao</a>...<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Via Flickr</span></span></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-84042333614838574522010-01-11T10:04:00.001-05:002010-01-11T10:04:00.276-05:00Filing and Organizing Financial Paperwork<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3o3CbJSkTAICXm7r1GQvKMi5ESlwy7s_jJBkMh3KNUFT_k6RSQnVXDAK8pFLOga19PX1_h1_p8-xjU5uywBsQDo1db-NH5uYxLdsyXhsiuPVo9NgyDKhJqMd2LbRBN4IEN1JnMajeDB4/s1600-h/filing+systems.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3o3CbJSkTAICXm7r1GQvKMi5ESlwy7s_jJBkMh3KNUFT_k6RSQnVXDAK8pFLOga19PX1_h1_p8-xjU5uywBsQDo1db-NH5uYxLdsyXhsiuPVo9NgyDKhJqMd2LbRBN4IEN1JnMajeDB4/s320/filing+systems.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424504458657929106" border="0" /></a>Since it is January - a great month for organization - I thought I would write a little bit about the various systems I use, (and have used in the past,) for organizing all that financial... stuff. I'm not saying that what I do is the best, by any means. "Different strokes for different folks," and what works for me may not work for anyone else. However, someone might see an idea here that will spark an idea of their own. So, here you go:<br /><br />I pay all of my bills through my online banking system. I usually do it during a few minutes of my lunch hour, so, when bills come in the house, they get opened, glanced at, then put in my work bag. This happens in pretty much one movement, no letting them pile up on a counter, they go straight into the bag! Then, the next day I will pop on my computer at lunch time and go to my bank's web site. Many of my bills I have auto-paid. I set them up in January and then they just pay out automatically each month. This works great for bills that are the same amount and due at the same time each month; when I had car loans and credit card debt they were all set up this way. Now it is mostly my mortgage and my utility bills that are on a "budget plan" (so they are the same each month,) that are on auto-pay. I still like to sign into my bank's site though and make sure everything is going out the way it should. It's just habit. However, the beauty of this is that even if I am on vacation or a statement is lost in the mail, the bills get paid on time. It is one of the reasons my credit score is good - because I haven't had a late bill in years.<br /><br />Some of my other bills are more random, either in when they arrive or the amount due. Trash, water, insurance - they are all quarterly or semiannually. My cell phone comes at the same time, never seems to be quite the same amount each month. I don't have an automatic bill pay for these, instead I create a single payment each time a statement comes in.<br /><br />After I verify a bill has been paid, then I file the statement in my work bag. I have a folder in it that contains all the statements from the prior month. This is when I glance and make sure that everything seems normal. When I saw my <a href="http://gettingninehundred.blogspot.com/2008/10/getting-rid-of-my-asurion-cell-phone.html">cell phone took too big of a jump up over the course of a month</a>, I spotted it right away, because I have the prior month's statement at my fingertips. So, the new month goes in the Statements folder and the old one goes in a To Be Filed folder.<br /><br />So that is the basic set up for simple bills and things, here's what I do with the old statements...<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Talk about low-tech, I have two cardboard boxes for filing. One is marked with the present year, (I just made my 2010 one a few days ago,) and one is labeled Taxes. I use envelope boxes I get from work - they are sort of like shoe boxes, but wider and and flatter. Any receipt, statement or other piece of paper that has to do with my tax return goes in the Taxes box. Everything else gets thrown in the year box.<br /><br />I have gone through a couple of different systems for filing statements and receipts. I actually originally started with the shoe box system when I read about it in a magazine years and years ago. Then I got more sophisticated and started keeping files in a locked file cabinet. This worked fairly well, except that while I had no problem adding something new to a file, I wasn't very good at taking things out. Soon my Auto, Credit Card, Insurance and other folders were filled to the brim. For some reason (laziness, perhaps) sorting out the cabinet and removing the previous year's statements just didn't really happen.<br /><br />Then I became pretty eco-conscious and decided to try to go paper free. I kept one month of statements as I do now, but older statements and receipts were all shredded and recycled. I felt good about the planet, but lousy about my pocketbook when not having a receipt cost me a couple hundred bucks. That's when I went back to my shoe box filing system.<br /><br />Checking my bank account online on a regular basis means I see instantly if there is any strange charges or odd activity in the account, keeping a paper trail of receipts and statements helps with taxes and returns. It takes up very little space and is super easy to use.<br /><br />Not all my financial documents are in envelope and shoe boxes, however. Important documents are kept in a fireproof safe in my basement. Documents I update regularly like my budget, are kept in my computer in spreadsheet format. Now in my file cabinet I keep more "timeless" information - taxes, important paperwork on my home and other purchases, generic account information, things like that. It is no longer stuffed to the gills with 3 years of statements from every bill I have ever gotten!<br /><br />What do you do with all your financial paperwork?<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/specialkrb/">SpecialKRB</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-44800054998096334662010-01-07T17:12:00.007-05:002010-01-08T16:26:40.543-05:00It's Not All Bad...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLMLaG2sLySCDoBtj-P6cOawu3Dk0OFnDmsKnLPdmiyywP01bXmdGblPRi6fXVad1ScMyNuckdIeujm4cgNWsFggvbnfxW_wDzju9ZcdeUZURsh1mB8n3F4Ig4_pESz7KqRckLSCa9S0/s1600-h/apartment.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 167px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLMLaG2sLySCDoBtj-P6cOawu3Dk0OFnDmsKnLPdmiyywP01bXmdGblPRi6fXVad1ScMyNuckdIeujm4cgNWsFggvbnfxW_wDzju9ZcdeUZURsh1mB8n3F4Ig4_pESz7KqRckLSCa9S0/s320/apartment.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424482704575441602" border="0" /></a>Wednesday I posted about my big financial fear when it comes getting a new tenant. However, I have to admit that if ever there was a time for me to have this problem, it is now. The first quarter of the year is actually looking really good for me for extra income. Here's the scoop:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">January<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I got a raise!!</span> Ha! I am so excited. I just found out about it today. It isn't some huge, massive raise, but in this economy (and don't forget, I am in Michigan - where we have one of the worst economies in the country) I am absolutely thrilled to get one at all. In truth, it was far more than I expected. I'll tell ya', this is the reason I continue to work where I do, they have always taken really good care of me, on so many levels.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Profit sharing!!</span> <a href="http://gettingninehundred.blogspot.com/2009/12/money-decisions-for-december-again.html">At the beginning of December</a> I wrote about getting a rather handsome profit sharing bonus. Our year end profit sharing is split up into two payments. They pay an estimated portion before Christmas and the final amount after the December books are closed. That means that sometime this month I should receive Part 2. The second half is usually a bit smaller than the first, as they try to give us a slightly larger portion before the holidays, (See? My company is just so thoughtful.) but I am still really excited about it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Part Time Work -</span> I have scheduled a couple of shifts at my part time job. I was only able to pick up two for January based on availability... I didn't have it, and my coworkers did. That is just fine though, I worked a ton of extra shifts last month when they couldn't so I'm happy to take the backseat this month.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Freelance Work - </span>Okay, this is just plain nifty. You may remember that <a href="http://gettingninehundred.blogspot.com/2009/10/where-ive-been.html">back in October</a> I picked up some freelance work. This was a new thing for me. Someone I knew needed a project completed and a dear friend recommended me for it! Well, I just picked up another one. This work pays by the job. Admittedly, if you calculate the hourly pay, well, it isn't all that much. However, it's work I can do mostly from home, on my own schedule. I'll have to do some meetings and driving around, but it fits into what I already have planned and best of all, this is still a new thing for me so I am really excited about doing it. It is creative work with neat people and I am just tickled to be asked to do it. I'll be working on it this month and next. The final project is due at the end of February. My guess is that it will pay the first part of March.<br /><br />Which brings us to next month....<span class="fullpost"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);" class="fullpost">February</span><br /></div><span class="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">More Part Time Work!</span> I have another part time job that hires me for just three weeks out of the year, and one of those weeks is near Valentine's Day. That's always a hard week, I'm working practically two full time jobs at that point, but it is only a few days. In fact, it isn't even a full week, it is just Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. For a few extra hundred dollars, I can work extra hours for five days!<br /><br />Plus, the part time job I mentioned above will be having some more work starting at the end of February into March, which means I could pick up a few extra hours here and there.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);" class="fullpost">March</span><br /></div><span class="fullpost"><br />Not only is there a lot of part time work that could be available this month, it is also:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tax Time - </span>Normally I try very hard for a even balance of taxes. I don't want a refund and I certainly don't want to pay them. In fact, I adjusted my payroll taxes to decrease the amount of taxes withheld and try to even out my tax burden. However, I am able to claim 25% of that very expensive house painting project I did this summer as a business expense, along with other expenses I invested into the property. I just got my packet from the accountant yesterday, if I get all my tax forms from banks and employers by the end of January and submit it right away, I usually see payment by March.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="fullpost"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Other Factors</span></span><br /></div><span class="fullpost"><br />Had my tenant had to move out and to another state back when I first started this blog, I would have been completely terrified about it. The fact is though, over the last couple of years I have really gotten a lot of my financial ducks in a row. Not only do I get spare income as mentioned above, but more importantly I've found significant areas where I can save or reduce spending. I've created a living, breathing budget I can work with, and I have increased my monthly income in other ways that pay every month (like changing tax withholding on paychecks.) I no longer have any consumer debt, so I have greatly reduced my bills. I've also created an emergency fund and other funds to help pay for these kinds of issues. All these things add to a much more stable situation.<br /><br />So, while I'm still nervous about not having a steady source of income for a month or two, its not nearly as bad as could have been.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/raillifepics/">Rail Life</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-16162948401434582282010-01-06T17:40:00.005-05:002010-01-06T17:57:33.263-05:00Being a Landloard and Getting a New Tenant<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lauriemcgregor/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfR6lVv-_MyF1qdEj3z4MlSXgPNdNv2U2jXJRNujSPTww4AY1N4AllzQxUXqtlDKnKoR8CqIKmL-ST8o-cqTcOKpsFVGSM_HCKqL2nhYS0wQYv0M3WN8rJViLEGN96WQasB69e6IcqI0/s320/rental+property+available.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423762330152410130" border="0" /></a>Well, last month was pretty crazy. Sorry about the lack of posts. A dear friend of mine just gave me a friendly poke in the ribs to get off my butt and start writing, so here we are! Rather than writing some big long apology post about what the heck has been going on with me, I think I will just pick up where I left off and fill you in as we go along. So that said... here we go:<br /><br />My tenant is moving out at the end of the month and I am a wee bit panicked about it. She just gave her notice a couple of days ago and is apparently moving out of state at the end of the month. The rent for the apartment is $550 a month... and that is not at all included in the $900 I have as a goal for each month, so naturally, I feel a touch nervous about it.<br /><br />However, it isn't all bad. There are some things I would like to do to that apartment and this may be my chance. Let's look at the Pros and Cons...<span class="fullpost"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Pros:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Heat -</span> One of the issues my tenant had was <a href="http://gettingninehundred.blogspot.com/2008/10/speaking-of-electric-bills-now-i-need.html">with the heat</a>. The heat for the unit is controlled in my section of the house, which only makes sense - I pay for the gas. My ex-husband rented the apartment to my current tenant and at the time told her it would "be comfortable." However, my idea of comfort and other people's ideas can be two different things. Plus, the apartment has only a few heater vents and several old drafty windows. So, she was cold. My solution at the time was to buy her a supplemental electric heater and window film insulating kits. However, this would be a prime opportunity for me to install some nice baseboard electric heaters. Then my new tenant will have the majority of the heat they need supplied by me and can then add more as they need it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Refrigerator -</span> One of the other requests my current tenant had <a href="http://gettingninehundred.blogspot.com/2008/08/replacing-freezer-seal-on-admiral.html">was for a new refrigerator</a>. I was actually planning on purchasing one for her this year. The one that is in the apartment unit now works, but admittedly, it is a bit dated. I've repaired it once and it cost me over $90 to do it, since the parts are obsolete. It would make sense to buy a nice EnergyStar energy efficient refrigerator. Not only would I be able to claim it on my 2010 taxes but it would be a relief to have it done before the other one clunks out. The only problem had been arranging delivery and replacement with the tenant, since she is rarely home (and I wasn't too keen on taking her items out of the old fridge and putting them in the new one.) If she is out of the unit, I can do it anytime I want.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Possible Income Opportunity -</span> My home has a three stall garage. I like having all the stalls to myself, but I realize that it is just convenience. It would be fairly easy for me to move everything out of the adjoining stall to my own and offer a garage stall with an electric opener for an extra $25. Or then again, I could offer them the single locked stall - it doesn't have an opener, but it would let them lock up some additional storage items. ...actually, the more I think about it, I like that option better. Hmmmm.... either way, it would be a possibility.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Paint -</span> My ex-husband has several rental properties and one of the things we used to talk about was "Better rental = Better tenants." When we worked on properties we always tried to improve the look of the apartments between tenants. This unit is actually really sharp and in good condition, except for the stairwell. It desperately could use some fresh paint and some molding repaired. This would give me the chance to do it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Cons:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Money -</span> All of the above repairs cost money. Yes, they are items I can claim on my taxes, however, I won't be seeing that money back until next year. I have money set aside that I was going to use for some of these home repair projects, but now I am wondering if I shouldn't keep as much liquid as possible just in case it takes awhile to find a new tenant. The question then is, will the repairs draw new (better) tenants or does it make sense to woo them with promises of all the things I will do... once they sign the lease.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lack of Income -</span> While I do have a cushion of funds set aside for just this case and can go fairly easily for a few months without a tenant, but I don't want to go too long. The longer I go the more I deplete my reserves.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Finding a Tenant -</span> One of the things that just stinks about being a landlord getting new tenants. Showing the apartment, getting applications, doing credit checks and all that is a fair amount of work, and extra time isn't something I have a lot of right now. It isn't something I can afford to put off though, either. It is going to have to be a big priority.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">To Dos:</span><br /><br />Here's some of the things I can get working on right away:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Put Together a Lease -</span> As I mentioned, my ex-husband was really the landlord and he had a contract he used that he got through his membership in the local Rental Property Association. I have a copy of it, but not a clean one I could give to someone. I also have a copy of the lease I signed when I lived in my last apartment. It was owed by someone like me and they had had a lawyer draw it up. It had some great language in it, so I have saved it. One thing I need to get done ASAP is putting together a lease and having it looked over so it is ready to go.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Check Up on Credit Checks -</span> My ex also used his connections with his Property Association to do this. I don't have a membership there, so I need to decide what company I am going to use and look into costs. He charged a $25 nonrefundable credit check fee, which paid for the checks, but gave the new tenant $25 off their first month's rent. I have to decide what I want to do about this.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Get Photos of the Apartment -</span> Though I would almost rather photograph it empty, the current tenant has it decorated very cute, and I just don't want to wait until she moves out to get on this. I can always take some now and replace them later, if necessary. They will be used for...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Advertising the Apartment -</span> Time to do a little research. I already have mentioned it to a few friends and put a little note on Facebook, just to get the ball rolling. There is a website for apartment rentals in town, I will want to see how much it costs to use them. I will also be looking at Craig's List. In the past my ex just put a sign in the yard, but I think I want to be more proactive than that. I will be out of town next week so I probably won't start it until the week of the 18th.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Review the Apartment -</span> It's been a few months since I was last in the apartment. I'll need to get in soon and get a feel for what types of work, other than cleaning, I have to plan on doing. Having a plan is always a good thing.<br /><br />So that's what I have on my plate for the next couple of weeks, how about you?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lauriemcgregor/">Laurie.McGregor</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via Flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-75258790898340162072009-12-02T09:03:00.000-05:002009-12-02T09:03:00.360-05:00Review of My Extra Income<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/elycefeliz/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQ5vIjc75QY1hiZPkWQngxSE3H9_lCVLldzSycKS8JbPzCMLat9gYmW7S_Cg9_841SqrrRp3QnIe3jAX_IdppPUZGGoOKmde7-Kg57YfT-mcEX7Da2dvL5_xvzwmChXkJmpeg3fwtm50/s320/work+for+money.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410307449531294226" border="0" /></a>Yesterday I wrote about my good fortune in getting a holiday bonus from my day job. Believe me, I am well aware of how very lucky I am, especially when there are still so many people out there who are out of work. I am very grateful for my job, and the benefits it offers. Though, like everyone, there are days I occasionally dream of giving it all up and living in a shack in Fiji, I've been at my job almost 11 years now and have no intentions of leaving anytime soon!<br /><br />Since I haven't done it in a little while I thought I would do a review on my extra income - what I earn over and above my day job wages. Though I finally have my finances rolling along like a well oiled machine, I am still actively perusing additional income. I've got a whole lot of goals on my horizon* and most of them require cash. Here's what I've been up to lately...<span class="fullpost"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Rental income -</span> I continue to have a tenant for the apartment (knock on wood!) Things have been pretty quiet in that area lately. She doesn't know it yet, but I am contemplating doing a house project for her, come spring. Next month I will get my tax worksheet from the accountant, and I am expecting a decent tax return - mainly because since my home has a rental unit, I can write off 25% of the house painting job. I am considering investing some of that back into the apartment. She has asked for a new refrigerator in the past. Hers works, but it is a tad ragged. I've already had to work on it twice and since it is a bit older, parts for it aren't cheap. It would be a good business decision, and again, something I could write off, and hey - happy tenants are good tenants!<br /><br /></span><span class="fullpost"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Part Time Jobs -</span> I still have a hodgepodge of part time jobs.</span> My jobs, as you might recall, are all sporadic. I am not sure I would be able to do a regular day in/day out, 20 hour a week second job. (Well, I probably could if I had to, but I think it would take quite a toll.) My jobs all offer me a little work here and a little work there, never so much that I get too burned out. Part Time Job 1 offers scattered 4-5 hour shifts and Part Time Job 2 offers 1 week of work, 3 times a year. One of those weeks was in October. While the hourly pay isn't all that impressive, I get in almost 40 hours, so it's a nice bump when I add it to my regular income. In addition, I was offered some freelance work that month that was really exciting. It something I had never done before and was interesting, fun and really rewarding. Again, if you take the hours put in versus the return, the rate was pretty low, but it was work I loved doing and it helped my bottom line. I was paid for that work in November.<br /><br />Currently I am picking up several shifts over at Part Time Job 1. With the holidays, they've had a lot of shifts available and it just so happens most of my coworkers are extremely busy right now. I offered to pick up a few extra shifts to fill in the holes. I pretty much worked every day through the last holiday weekend and have three more shifts coming up. Yay!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Surveys -</span> I still do surprisingly well with surveys. I mean, I don't make a ton, but I usually manage to get anywhere from $10 - $15 a month. Okay, that's not enough to retire on, but it is around $120 a year I make on lunch hours or while waiting for reports to print. You can read a past post I wrote about the surveys I do (and see links to sign up for them if you want) <a href="http://gettingninehundred.blogspot.com/2009/07/survey-sites-i-like.html">here</a>.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Bank Interest -</span> Again, with interest rates the way they are, I am not rolling in dough from my interest! But you know what I love about interest? It is practically free. I do nothing to get it - the bank just adds it into my account each month. I love that!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Book Sales -</span> Despite selling some nice high ticket items lately, book sales in general have been slow. I know this is my fault. I have proven to myself time and time again that if I am actively working on my book sales, I make more money. For awhile there I got busy and was coasting a bit, then I ran out of books to list. However, people I know have been clearing out their closets and generously giving their old books to me, so I have a box full of books waiting to go up for sale. That is something I need to make happen ASAP. Generally, when I am working at it, I can make an extra $60-70 a month on book sales.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Mystery Shopping -</span> I used to do pretty well on mystery shopping, or at least get a free meal a month, but lately this has dried up! The only things I see offered are too far away or age compliance shops for places that serve liquor. They want shoppers who are under 30, to see if they get carded. Since I am over the age limit (and getting further all the time....) that rules me out. Ah well....<br /><br />And that is pretty much it, other than the unexpected windfall! Looking ahead at my calendar, if all proceeds as normal, it looks like I will have a fairly good variety of part time work through June, which is when everything dries up for the summer. Here's looking forward to a good 2010!<br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />* Some of my goals are going back to school, fixing up my home for possible resale when the market turns around, and some much needed work on the cottage. Plus I have some purely financial goals, like having 6 months of emergency funds stockpiled away!<br /><br />Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/elycefeliz/">elycefeliz</a><br />via flickr</span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-4182239878166406472009-12-01T09:01:00.001-05:002009-12-01T09:01:00.906-05:00Money Decisions for December... Again<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/endlessstudio/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaqUdKizdzZin9gNf4RdDUT-BcpdYxmCewV3n838BOiFbmCDFRBK8G3-0aisrqqe-Kpcn4MkVHZICUXyEqvwWHyU_G-h6wba59V98blUFPaAelL5eXMOUhKXHexGZZhBPbTQJxV6JRdU/s320/piggy+bank.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409945868318511090" border="0" /></a>Sooo.... guess who got a rather handsome Christmas bonus?<br /><br />Actually, it isn't a Christmas bonus per se'. My company offers profit sharing. They split the year end profit sharing into two checks - one that you get before Christmas to help with the holiday shopping, and one they give out in January - after the books are closed and the actual figures are known. It is an extraordinarily nice benefit, and <a href="http://gettingninehundred.blogspot.com/2008/12/goal-for-december-made-if-you-take-look.html">you can see it made a big impact on last's years numbers as well</a>. (Please note that not all the money you see in the sidebar is from the bonus though, some was from my freelance work and I have had some nice book & DVD sales. I even sold <a href="http://gettingninehundred.blogspot.com/2008/08/night-slave-dvd-with-claudia-udy.html">Night Slave</a>!)<br /><br />Now... what to do with it? The obvious thing is to pay down my debt. I still owe my Mom for the loan she gave me for finishing painting the house. In fact, $350 of the money in my sidebar there has already been sent to her. It's a bit tricky though. When she gave me the money, she was so incredibly sweet about it. She told me she wasn't going to charge interest and I could just pay her back $20 or $30 whenever I had it. She also said she wanted me to keep track of it, and she wasn't going to worry about it one bit. Isn't that nice?? But, if you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know that isn't how I work. With each check I've been getting from my part time jobs, I've been saving a little of it for my emergency fund and giving mom the rest. So far, I have sent her $800 - two $350 checks and one $100 check. Each time she gets one, she tells me how hard it is for her to take my money since she knows how hard I work for it. She's such a dear.<br /><br />So, I owe her $1900 yet. I could turn around and just pay her off. It is probably what I should do, but for some reason, I am hesitating...<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Part of it is what Mom has been saying about how she feels about cashing those checks. It makes her feel bad. She is well aware that it is a loan and I am simply paying her back, but she wasn't expecting big lump sums. If she has a problem with $350, imagine how she'd feel with a $1900 check!?! I'm not sure she'd believe me that it really was okay.<br /><br />But, that's not the only thing... there is something else, and I don't know how to describe it. When I get money like this, my impulse is <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">always</span> to split it up a bit - make the most out of it. If you look at <a href="http://gettingninehundred.blogspot.com/2008/12/goal-for-december-made-if-you-take-look.html">the post I wrote about last year's bonus</a>, you'll see I split it up. My current urge is to take a portion of my bonus and send it to Mom as a repayment, take another portion and put it in my emergency fund and a final portion and invest in one of my larger home improvement projects. I keep thinking that I could send her another $400 - $500 now, and then kind of pace it out over the month. That will still be a lot for her to take, but I think she'll do it. Then again, maybe this is selfish, I don't know. I originally really wanted to pay her back before Christmas, and this would let me do it. Yet at the same time, my range hood microwave hasn't worked in 6 months, and there are a lot of good deals right now. For a couple hundred bucks I could have that fixed finally. Or perhaps get a bed that doesn't hurt my back, since I have been sleeping without a box spring for 18 months.<br /><br />On the other hand, it isn't like this is the only money I'll be getting. I'm working a ton of shifts at the part time job through December, and I should be getting another profit sharing check in January. (That one will most likely be a bit less. It usually is.) </span><span class="fullpost">It is a strange thing. How come when I get a $400, I can fairly easily turn around and send Mom $350 of it, but once the money coming in gets over that $1,000 mark, I can't do the same? It must have to do with large numbers - it has to. I have to have some kind of block or something. Whatever the reason, it is how I feel. And I guess the reasons don't have to be logical. I am an extremely logical person - who is known for looking logic in the face and doing the exact opposite. I mean, deciding to get $900 a month over your income to keep not one, but two homes, is not at all logical - yet I did it. </span><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />So what to do? Follow my head, which says just pay mom back in full or follow my gut which says do it a little at a time? The good news is, I don't have to decide now. I send out my checks through online bill pay, so it doesn't cost me a thing - not even a stamp - to cut multiple checks. I can send out what I am comfortable with now, then see how I feel throughout the rest of the month.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/endlessstudio/"> _ES</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-80707357658078111832009-11-30T09:39:00.005-05:002009-11-30T10:37:58.510-05:00Follow Up On Excercising to Combat SAD<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintaylor/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLJDKRqk_eYmrikEMFa-YX_dYG6XcKf6zk0dV8CDWsAlf12wAaxLnxL0cNLZmkC7CVvu4Rbb_wAfpSNfU7-mSLm_3etQqJqf7dTRniW5TpcZsKzh44gSMdPOBv-pdsnD8mmhTcmVHr6s/s320/cobra+pose.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409919276257701970" border="0" /></a>Well it has been a little over a month <a href="http://gettingninehundred.blogspot.com/2009/11/frugally-and-naturally-fighting.html">since I started exercising in the morning to combat my Seasonal Affective Disorder</a>. I thought I would write a post to follow up on how it has been going:<br /><br />Actually, it has been great! Now, don't get me wrong, I don't pop out of bed singing in the morning... exercise is not some magic bullet. However, it has made a huge difference. In my post about SAD and its effects on me, I tried to explain what it was like for me to wake up each morning when it's been dark. For some reason, the lack of light in the morning has really hit me hard. Setting back the clocks at the time change helped a bit and it was a bit lighter in the morning, but only for a week or two. Today when I woke up it was as dark out as if it were midnight. Before I started exercising regularly, this made it incredibly difficult for me to get out of bed. Have you ever taken cold medication and had it knock you out, and then try to get up? You know that feeling like your limbs are made of lead and your head is underwater? It was something like that, except that when it happens under the influence of cold medication, you can pretty easily laugh it off. Maybe not at the time, but later anyway. When it isn't the result of something you can control though - and it happens morning after morning - it become depressing very, very quickly. There were times that I found myself wondering if having a job was worth it. Not that I would actually act on that, but these ridiculous (though regularly occurring) thoughts show how bad it was getting.<br /><br />It didn't matter how much sleep I got, either. I tried going to bed earlier and that just made it worse! Even if I felt like I was going to be able to fall asleep when I went to bed, once the lights were off I became restless and ended up being awake far past my normal bedtime, which meant I was overly sleepy on top of everything else!<br /><br />So, a little over a month ago, I began exercising...<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />I am getting up 40 minutes earlier than I was. That gives me time to get up, get into my workout clothes, go downstairs and turn the lights on, then exercise for 25-30 minutes. I'm not doing anything terribly strenuous - some yoga stretches and light aerobics, mostly. (In the evenings, I try to do another hour, but that depends a bit on how busy I am. I've been able to do it most nights, though.)<br /><br />The exercise has made a big difference. I still wake up wishing I could sleep in a little longer, but it's that normal "weekday wishing it was the weekend" feeling. It isn't depressing at all. As a coworker of mine who gets up <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> early said - "it isn't getting up an hour or two earlier that is hard, it's the first five minutes." In my case it isn't even that. The first minute I open my eyes I might be wishing the alarm hadn't gone off, but a moment later I am dressed and downstairs, and by then, everything it fine.<br /><br />I'm feeling really good and glad to have shaken that depression. In addition, I've gotten the side benefit of losing a little weight. It seems the past few busy months have taken a bit of a toll on my waistline. I managed to eat pretty healthy, but I was eating rather late at night. I'm talking dinner at 10:00 p.m. - or much, much later. In my younger years this was no problem, but I have finally come to accept that, now that I am in my late 30s, my metabolism has changed. The late meals were not good for me, and that will be something I will have to work on when I get busy again. Anyway, the exercise has been great and I am now pretty close the same weight I was when I was married (which was the last time I had a scale.) I have to believe that those few extra pounds weren't helping my sluggishness any either!<br /><br />I received a lot of supportive and interested comments on the original post. If you are dealing with SAD, I encourage you to <a href="http://gettingninehundred.blogspot.com/2009/11/frugally-and-naturally-fighting.html">check them out</a> - along with this advice from my friend Tracey:<br /><br /><blockquote>I too, have difficulties with SAD and everything you said is awesome!I am sure you have done your homework on this, but medically SAD is thought to be caused by lower levels of the hormones/chemicals Melatonin and Serotonin in the body. It is also considered an Environmental Psychiatric condition, so all that you're doing to change your environment is wonderful!<br /><br />I strongly dislike taking any medications/supplements, etc..But when it gets really bad for me I take Melatonin in a small dose. There is a very respected health-food store in our area (you know the one), and they are VERY educated on SAD and can recommend anything from vitamins to different teas to help.<br /><br />www.ei-resource.org is a great reference for SAD. And www.melatonin.com has a lot of info as well. </blockquote><br />Here's hoping to a happier winter!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo of figure in Cobra pose (one of the poses I do in the morning) by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintaylor/">The Other Martin Taylor</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-89465252825833807282009-11-20T09:56:00.005-05:002009-11-20T11:35:05.988-05:00Happiness is... Free Recipes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/piratejohnny/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOzYfM7ADG3Pi5lUC3GNaoX8cXr9o0-afdO1V0vsg_mqn3HbFyZZCdnQoMJUvCh5NewnbCIICkWbM328V2bP_KMsQI5y72I2wPBBBEwEaGj3vpxfvvG8Sj-yxJLmeRboP6g-fmQEwswE/s320/cookbooks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406222460442765026" border="0" /></a>Today, I fell in love with Google, all over again.<br /><br />I am pretty good at hunting things down on the internet when I need something, but every now and then I forget to even <span style="font-style: italic;">look</span>. Today I was able to use Google to quickly and easily find two recipes I thought I had lost.<br /><br />Back when I was married, my ex and I did a lot of cooking. Naturally, we owned a ton of cookbooks. We also were fond of cooking magazines like "Food and Wine" and "Cuisine." Since I'm the type of cook who enjoys being in the kitchen in part because I like making and trying new dishes, that gave us all the more reason to buy a lot of cookbooks.<br /><br />When we split, the cookbooks were roughly divided up. I got all of mine that I had before the marriage and some that were gifts to me while we were married. He kept the ones we had bought together or that were given to him. For the most part I was absolutely fine with this division, but later I realized that in his books were two recipes I loved... and missed.<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />It is very rare that I miss a recipe. As I said, part of the reason I like to cook is to make something new. My father was the same way. He liked to make a recipe once, maybe twice, and then he was pretty much done with it. You really had to cajole him to make something if he was bored with the recipe. His apple pie was a prime example. My father made the best apple pie <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">ever</span>. Seriously, I have yet to have a pie that rivals his. Heck, I wish I had a tenth of his pie crust making skills! As I recall, he enjoyed making the first few - it was a challenge. For years after that though, it took begging. Mom would buy bushels of apples, which she kept on the three season porch. We knew then that it was time to start asking for homemade applesauce and apple pies. Mom made the applesauce, so we could get that pretty easily, but the apple pie took some work.<br /><br />Now that I cook myself, I understand his reluctance. Once I've made something more than a few times, it stops being fun for me and starts becoming work. So, the fact that I actually miss recipes is really saying something! I didn't really want to buy the cookbooks that these recipes were in again - it seems a bit silly to buy a new cookbook for just one recipe. I did consider, briefly, going into a bookstore and attempting to find the cookbooks and then copy down the recipe there, but this wasn't quite as easy as it sounds either. While one of them would probably be fairly simple to find, (it was in one of the Mayo Clinic's cookbooks,) the other was from a "Food and Wine" supplemental - somewhere between a magazine and a thick cookbook, it wasn't the kind of thing likely to be on the bookstore shelves. I had no idea where I could get that from again, especially since I didn't remember exactly when it came out. So, I was pretty sure one of the recipes was lost forever. ...that is until today, when I typed both of them into Google and they popped right up!<br /><br />They are:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chili-dusted-pork-chops">Chili Dusted Pork Chops</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/RE00070">Shrimp and Mango Curry</a><br /><br />(Really both of these are summer dishes, but I was thinking of them because I have both pork chops and edamame in my freezer right now. )<br /><br />I bring this up for two reasons - 1) I was incredibly happy to find both of these without having to spend a penny and 2) it was a instant object lesson in keeping it simple. Seriously, for the last year and a half, whenever I thought about these recipes (which happened every now and again this summer) I would think about going to bookstore with a pad of paper and a pen or trying to order these cookbooks used online so I could get a good deal on them - it never occurred to me until today to simply type "shrimp mango Mayo clinic" into Google and see what showed up on the search results! It was just reminder that it's frequently a smart idea to start with the easiest and less expensive options first - you can always get more complicated later!<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo of the pile of cookbooks by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/piratejohnny/">pirate johnny</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-38154980958348594272009-11-17T11:31:00.004-05:002009-11-17T14:18:41.519-05:00Grocery Shopping Review - Meal Planning from the Market<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/freeformkatia/2873444097/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjeIH1a5qxW-3UnmqsVsn82kNxjEBq79acB7A9axSC6C2d6rm6DrnYTTym83kcksVoSxKfjp3m3tLrdzbOTR4pXfs5pClhP-YmqzS6Rd5tJ9TmGCpba9WylXX4901StDwV5Qf4W85Ylc/s320/brussel+sprouts.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405153628114996434" border="0" /></a>A few months ago I started buying my groceries on the envelope system. For the most part, it is working really well. My food budget for the month is $125, so I take that out around the first of the month and tuck it in a special spot in my wallet, then just spend that when I shop. I have gone over a few times, usually at the end of the month when something unexpected comes up, but I am not going over by very much (or very often) and I am going over my budget <span style="font-style: italic;">a lot less</span> than when I was using my debit card instead of cold hard cash.<br /><br />This month I started my grocery shopping by going to the farmer's market. You might not think there would be a lot at a farmer's market in Michigan in November, but you'd be wrong! There was a ton of produce to choose from. As part of my effort to soak up sunshine before the winter darkness sets in, (and me trying to get a bit more exercise,) I walked down to the market on a crisp fall morning. I bought celery, carrots, beets, leeks, onions, Brussel sprouts (still on the stalk - I love that!), ham, turkey, eggs, kale and potatoes. There were also tons of things I didn't buy - squashes of all colors, pumpkins, apples, radishes, parsnips... the list goes on and on.<br /><br />Anyway, you might already be seeing the problem with my trip... I bought a lot of root vegetables and you know what? Root vegetables are heavy!! I was so tired bringing home my haul that I had to stop over at a park on the way home and just sit on a park bench for awhile and rest my arms! It was good though, more exercise than I planned on certainly (next time I buy that much I'll bring my car!) but overall a worthy trip.<br /><br />The next thing I did was start putting together my menu...<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Normally I put together my menu and shopping list before I hit the market, but it was fun to change it around a bit and instead let the market inspire my shopping. I piled up all my produce on the dining room table, got out a couple of favorite cookbooks, grabbed a cup of coffee, and then picked out my menu according to what I had. As I figured out how I was going to cook each thing, it got put away. And while doing that, I also made my shopping list for the additional ingredients I was going to need (and, of course, added the nonfood items like aspirin and window cleaner to my shopping list.)<br /><br />I then went through my coupons and hopped online and found a few more. As I did, I broke my list into parts depending on where I wanted to shop. More and more I am hitting certain stores for certain things, rather than getting everything at one big megamart. For example, I got those locally grown products at the farmer's market, then I went to a small butcher shop/market for some other meat and produce I couldn't get at the farmer's market. Next I hit Save-A-Lot for some canned items, aluminum foil and dried lentils, Rite Aid for pharmacy items (I had a $25 gift certificate) and finally the megamart for the last items on my list - and the ones I had coupons for.<br /><br />So basically, when it comes to fresh vegetables and meat, I buy it locally and look for the best quality. I may pay a little more than at the megamart, but I am okay with that.<br /><br />I do try to use Save A Lot for canned and dried items that I don't have coupons for. It isn't one of my favorite places to shop, but their prices are so low, it is worth the trip.<br /><br />I waiver between CVS and Rite Aid for pharmacy type items. It just depends on who is running the better deals.<br /><br />The megamart becomes the last step. Before I used to go there first and get everything, but now I pretty much only get there what I can't get elsewhere - or when I have coupons.<br /><br />It's been working well - my savings tend to even out. I may spend a little more on free range eggs, but I save on the non-produce items. All in all, its a system that is working for me. Here's just a few of the things on the menu for this month:<br /><br />Tex-Mex Turkey Chili<br />Risotto with ham, portabella mushrooms, carrots and peas<br />Quiche with turkey sausage, leeks and mushrooms<br />Homemade onion soup<br />Grilled chicken salad with artichoke hearts<br />Steak, oven roasted beats and Brussel sprouts with pecans<br /><br />YUM!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/freeformkatia/">freeformkatia</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span></span></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-64017150920541366962009-11-16T09:23:00.004-05:002009-11-16T10:49:06.919-05:00My Experience with Giving Through Freecycle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatmandy/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfkIda8nD1braQpSlstfOf6HOh8OcDLt-zXEhKKZe6EUG0JBLM-IfAQHfdWMUVydlvyfGgVGzUvA6KxM8D1zZlcwcNDNMAe3oMhmaXR8azuhj8LXRiBBUlnRdXESLdLN9sE8MDJRwO9s/s320/157235184_8cad3d81ba.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404727640889714578" border="0" /></a>Last week I was insanely busy at my office. We are going to be moving at the end of the year, and last week we started cleaning out our storage area. We need to get some units cleared out so that they can start moving them over ahead of time. Well, since going paperless quite a few years ago and having gone through several downsizings, we have accumulated a ton of miscellaneous office supplies. Most were gathering dust in the back. Since we don't use them anymore we don't want to move them over to the new office, where we have considerably less storage space.<br /><br />The first thing we did was go through and take all the stuff we wanted to get rid of and put it all in one spot. Then we encouraged employees to help themselves. Then we donated a ton to to a couple of charities (churches and preschools.) We still, however, had some things left - and those I decided to Freecycle.<br /><br />I am going to give you my personal views on working with Freecycle-ers. Let me state these are merely my opinions after 5 solid days of giving away office supplies, getting emails from over 100 people and giving things to over half of them. Your experience in your town might be completely different. First off, I love the concept of Freecycle. Basically you post what you have, and people who are interested email you and then (theoretically) come pick it up. Here we were looking at this huge pile of "office stuff" and my boss and coworkers wanted to pitch it all. But the hippy in me, combined with my inner frugal Dutch woman, could not bear to see all this perfectly usable stuff go into a landfill! On the other hand, I didn't have time or energy to deal with eBaying it. I didn't want to make trips to the post office, package it all up, then still have to deal with what didn't sell. Besides, I didn't have that much time - everything had to be gone in a week. Essentially I just wanted to wave a magic wand and make it all disappear. My magic wand was Freecycle....<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />I would post an item on Freecycle, say 500 used manila folders. (They are perfectly good if you turn them inside out or great for craft projects.) I would very clearly ask people to tell me how many they needed. When they responded, I would give them driving directions to the office and ask when they were picking them up, and for a name to hold the items under. Once they responded, I would grab a scrap paper and jot their name and the day they were coming, and put it on the item. I had a holding area for items waiting to be picked up and I had sections for different days. That way when someone showed up I could easily grab their stuff for them. This part all went pretty well... the quirky part was dealing with the people themselves.<br /><br />Here are my little rules for Freecycle-ers:<br /><br />1.) I immediately delete any emails that use text speak. First of all, this is a completely personal thing - I <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">hate</span> text speak. It feels incredibly disrespectful to me. If you can't take the time to type the word "you" I don't want to attempt to have a conversation with you. However, there is a practical reason to delete these emails as well - people who are too lazy to type, are too lazy to return emails. Every time I broke my own rule and responded to a "Will U Save these 4 me?" email they <span style="font-style: italic;">never</span> responded with a name or time for pick up. In fact, not one person who used text speak actually picked up an item. Nothing irritates me more than me taking the time to set something aside for you and you not even bothering to come pick it up.<br /><br />2.) If someone can't follow the directions in my post, they are going to end up being a pain. This little lesson took me a long time to learn. I would write, in all caps, at the bottom of each post, "PLEASE, TELL ME HOW MANY YOU WANT. This helps me distribute these among everyone who is interested." For example, I had 6 working 19" monitors. Big fellas, these were monstrously heavy and took up a ton of desk real estate - but hey, they worked - and I was giving them away free. People would say they were interested, but not how many they wanted! Well, this just makes more work for me, because now I have to check - and in the meantime I was getting deluged by emails. I finally learned to give away items to the people who responded properly first, then if I had anything left, I would offer it to the non-direction followers.<br /><br />Amounts weren't the only directions people had a hard time following, though. For example, on the monitors I included in my post the size and weight, and encouraged people to bring someone with a strong back to carry them. Well, you guessed it, I ended up offering one to one of the people who didn't tell me how many they wanted. Who did she send to pick it up? Her 60+ year old mother, who was about 5'3" and maybe 100 lb soaking wet and her father... <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">who had a broken back!</span> Seriously, I couldn't make this stuff up. Guess who (while wearing heels) ended up loading it into their van.... yeah....<br /><br />3. People who can't follow driving directions are wackjobs. Okay, I know this sounds horribly judgmental and I am not known for my keen sense of direction myself, however, as bad as this sounds, it's still true. I don't mean wackjobs in a scary sense, I mean it in that kind of affectionate, slightly frustrated, roll your eyes kind of way. I gave everyone very clear, very simple directions for how to find our office. Of the 4 people who called from the road to get directions - <span style="font-weight: bold;">every single one of them was a wackjob.</span> I'm not sure the correlation between not being able to follow driving directions and being wacko, but there you are. Maybe they not only dance to their own drummer but they drive to their own navigator?<br /><br />Two of these folks wanted to talk to me <span style="font-style: italic;">forever</span> afterward. These were not comfortable conversations - these were "conversations" where I pretty much didn't get a word in edgewise and where I kept hoping a coworker would rescue me. One of them went by her "stage name" which was vaguely uncomfortable to for me to say. Lady Fallopian Tubes, (not her real stage name, but close enough) completely creeped me out. The final directionally challenged wackjob called three times, apparently not believing 1) my driving directions, 2) the hours I said we would be open, 3) that we were really an office and 4) that we would actually give away all these great used manila folders and monitor stands. Sigh.... I think he wanted to chat too, but I pretty much gave him his items then hustled him out the door.<br /><br />4. When you find a good one - give 'em all they can carry. Some of the freecycle-ers were great! They followed directions, picked their things up on time and thanked me, and then left. They were awesome! These folks I loaded down - not only with what they originally wanted, but they were the ones I emailed later with a "Hey, I also found this... could you use it?" One of my favorites was a gal who was opening her own law office with four of her fellow recent grads. I hooked her up - she said it was like Christmas! That's me... helping the Michigan economy 1 box of legal sized green hanging folders at a time.<br /><br />5. Freecycle helps everyone - even though the week was rather hectic, I feel really good about it. Not only did I keep a lot of stuff out of the landfill, I also managed to unload things we would have had to pay to get rid off. We had hundreds of pounds of broken and/or unusable (by us) computer, printing and fax equipment. To have that picked up and recycled would cost us about $.12 a pound. Thanks to Freecyclers - especially the local Steelworker's Union who took 3 broker Phaser printers (at 100 lb+ each), 3 broken fax machines (65 lbs each) and all the supplies we had for each (thanks guys!) I saved the office quite a bit of money. I like that a lot.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatmandy/">fatmandy</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-29172567018657613602009-11-09T11:25:00.005-05:002009-11-09T14:37:20.619-05:00Style on A Dime... or Less<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/browserd/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybEpd3Th75xgQGDzUzp1Rz-uBGx9vStwTmxfT5LGfiPvjp_1E6G9n_aVJ5UoSk0AivzbqRPADlRzqaHAq6WH8rI6e4luTKDaPRcpxb78h0PPeFvmKtiOB8KHPmh4VBq1mKW6EKk_UXfM/s320/decorated+apartment.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402175684717407890" border="0" /></a>So, I've been writing about redoing my home to fit my style. A couple of weekends ago I tackled another room - my living room. Once again, I was able to completely change the feel of the room - without spending a penny.<br /><br />First let me tell you a little about the room. It is fairly large room, roughly rectangular in shape, and painted an odd sort of gray green. The paint is matte, which was undoubtedly chosen to hide the waves and ripples in my 100+ year old plaster walls. The color reminds me of a Victorian doctor's waiting room - think dull, slighty depressing, grayish olive green. Obviously I did not choose this color, and someday I might change it, but I have to say that despite the fact I am not crazy about the color, they did a good job painting it.<br /><br />This is the front room of my house. If you imagine a horizontal rectangle, the top line across has windows to my front porch. The front door is in the top right corner and the entryway to the rest of the house is in the bottom right, making an informal hallway. Originally my couch was on the short wall facing that hallway (the left side of the rectangle) and all the furniture was based off that.<br /><br />The couch, and its matching chair, are incredibly striking, and part of the reason I don't mind the paint color - they make it work. Once again (as with most of my furniture) this was passed on to me by a friend. The couch belonged to my friend Tracey and it is in her rich, decadent, exotic and unforgettable style. First off, both the chair and the couch are <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">huge</span>. That was actually the reason I ended up with it - when she moved, it didn't fit into her new place... literally, they couldn't get it through the front door. So, she ended up storing it in her father's garage. Well, at the time I had an empty living room and offered to at least get it away from the car fumes and garage mice and store it at my place. It barely fit in my house - we had to take off both doors from the house, all the legs and finials off the couch, and then it took three men (one sober, one tipsy, one three sheets to the wind) and a time space continuum to get it through the door. I've always told Tracey that if she wants it back, it is hers... unfortunately I am not sure it is coming out without a saw!<br /><br />Not only is the furniture big, it is in rich, gorgeous colors. It is deep brilliant red, black and gold in an intricate combination of tapestry fabrics. The back and arms of the couch are very tall, which is why it was so hard to get it through the door. In addition to the couch there is a big overstuffed chair, which is almost a love seat, (except that the lovers would have to be pretty skinny to sit side by side,) and a huge square ottoman. Honestly, this is not furniture I would have chosen, I think I would have been too scared to be that bold! My friend Tracey, however, is fearless when it comes to furniture selection and she has stunning taste. The best part (for me,) is that this furniture <span style="font-style: italic;">works</span> with the room and the paint color. The warm elegant colors of the fabric keep it from being dark and cold. Since this room is kind of a formal parlor room (no tv here), it all works together well.<br /><br />Also in the room are a few other big pieces, the grandfather clock my father built, a glass coffee table and few other things. This was what I had to work with...<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The first step was to clean out the room - everything, except the couch, chair and grandfather clock, had to come out! I pulled, pushed and carried everything from the photos on the walls to the rug on the floor into my dining room. Then I pushed the couch and the chair over against the wall with the windows and got out my trusty Murphy's Oil Soap. After a good sweep I got down on hands and knees and once again washed the hardwood floors. When one side was dry, I pushed the couch and chair over and did the other side. (I did not move the grandfather clock. It is a pain to move and I hate doing it alone. It was fine right where it was.)<br /><br />Since the couch is the largest piece of furniture in the room, that was the piece I needed to place first. I wanted to do something different with it, but my choices were limited. I was thinking about focal points - what do I want people to look at? I had had it against the wall opposite the doors, which frankly, isn't that much of a view. I don't have a fireplace, tv or piece of great art (common focal points) in there, so what to do? I put it against the windows when I was washing the floor, and could immediately tell that wasn't going to work. As tall as it is, it blocked out half the light. Besides, these are pretty much floor to ceiling windows, I was afraid of sun fading the material. I couldn't put it opposite from where it had been - that would put it directly in the path of anyone entering via the front door... they'd have to somersault over it to get in!<br /><br />Really, that just left one choice, so I put the couch on the wall opposite the windows. This not only changed the flow of the room, it made the the windows and the grandfather clock into </span><span class="fullpost">focal points </span><span class="fullpost">- perfect! Now it looked like I was trying to make the room make some kind of sense. Next I positioned the rug and the chair. As I did, I noticed another effect that I liked. Because the couch was now on the "long side" of the rectangle, it shrank the room up a bit. In the past, because furniture was on both "short sides," the room felt pretty big and distant. It was fine if I was in there by myself or sitting on the couch with a friend, but when I had people over, I noticed that the furniture made the people sitting on opposites sides of the room really distant from one another. If you were sitting on the couch and someone else was in the chair, with the big distance between you and the ottoman and coffee table in the middle, you almost felt that you had to holler to the other person! Changing the placement made the room a lot more intimate and better for conversation.<br /><br />As before, I brought in only the furniture that I wanted. Here is something that is crazy to me - changing the way things were arranged made <span style="font-style: italic;">more</span> space... again. Just like in the last room I did. In fact, I actually added one of my chairs that had been in the library (it is gold, so it matches), a large side table that hadn't worked with the new library lay out, and a lamp.<br /><br />Here's another quirky thing - when I had the furniture how I wanted it, I went to work on the pictures. I have two large framed prints that had been hanging over the couch. All the time, I knew I had hung them too high. It is a fault of mine, I <span style="font-style: italic;">always</span> hang art to high. Recently though, I read something in a design book about figuring how how high you want to hang your art... then lowering it 3". This has been great advice! I've used it a couple of times now, and sure enough, things look better. I was dreading rehanging these pieces - they are so, so heavy and my ex had put them up with <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_5038415_use-molly-bolt.html">big molly bolts</a>. It was going to tear up my walls.<br /><br />But then something happened... even though the prints were too high behind the couch, that changed now that my gold chair was in front of them. My gold chair also has a tall back - even taller than the couch (it comes up to my shoulders when I am standing next to it.) I put it in front of the prints and a low bookcase nearby and poof! It worked. The prints no longer look like they are hanging in space. Believe me, I wish I could tell you that it was planned, but it wasn't. It just all came together... like magic.<br /><br />There was only one problem when I got done with the room... now my dining room was full of things I wasn't going to use, from both my living room and my library room!! My next project was to clear that out. I now have a holding area of furniture in my basement that I need to make decisions on. I will either pass it on via the "undeeda" network (you needa chair? I gotta chair.) or sell it in next year's garage sale... or find a new home for it in my own home as I finish up the rest of the rooms in my house.<br /><br />I am really pleased with this project so far. I am slowly, room by room, making the spaces in my house my own, without spending any money. Now admittedly, I have cleared out some areas that I look at and think, "I need a new _____ for there." but, I am not in any particular rush to go out and buy. I also am rather happy with the deep cleaning each room is getting. It had been awhile since these floors were scrubbed, the furniture vacuumed, the windows washed. I'm also going through each room as I finish with it and making a dream list - writing down everything I would do if I had an unlimited budget. Some things are big and out of my price range, like installing a gas fireplace in the living room, but others are very doable on my budget, like giving the metal register covers a fresh coat of black paint.<br /><br />My next room will either be the dining room or the bedroom. The dining room will be the easier of the two, so it will depend on how much time I have. The dining room, though, has some potential for big projects, so we'll see if I feel up to tackling it. In the meantime, I have two great rooms that I love and feel very, very comfortable in.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/browserd/">Browserd</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-47320674538090317562009-11-03T09:47:00.004-05:002009-11-03T11:11:22.237-05:00Frugally and Naturally Fighting Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimusjMyNmOviENtyfABVcJLxKEaPB0Uuk5CiysMt8WiNLDpji6IYnrzdi3mqV7LkTZ6qWxqo2fu85lFPRKh-sfl7ncdLHNyoVx2okRdv5xpyEVd03A48Pfg9FkPagN5QWrENql4wdwDg/s1600-h/sunrise.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimusjMyNmOviENtyfABVcJLxKEaPB0Uuk5CiysMt8WiNLDpji6IYnrzdi3mqV7LkTZ6qWxqo2fu85lFPRKh-sfl7ncdLHNyoVx2okRdv5xpyEVd03A48Pfg9FkPagN5QWrENql4wdwDg/s320/sunrise.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399907772204888674" border="0" /></a>If you live in a part of the world where you have dramatic shifts in climate during the seasons, you are probably familiar with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder">Seasonal Affective Disorder</a>, or SAD. Here in Michigan I know a number of people who are affected by it, some severely. In those cases it goes beyond a temporary case of the "winter blues" or "fall doldrums," it is a level of depression that can affect their jobs, relationships and overall health. I've been lucky. In the past I have not been very affected by season change, in fact, I love fall and winter, so I look forward to it. This year, however, has been a little different.<br /><br />SAD is caused by a number of things, but one of the biggest causers is the change in daylight. Here in the Midwest our days are getting shorter at a fairly rapid pace. The lack of natural light is hard on the system. Personally, I am having a problem with the lack of light in the morning. Now when I talk about struggling with these fall mornings, most of my coworkers roll their eyes and make comments about me not being a morning person, but that isn't what is going on at all. To explain the difference, let me give you a little history:<br /><br />I've worked at my present job for 10 years now. For the last 8 or so, I have worked a slightly odd schedule. For three or four years I worked 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and for the last few I have worked 10:00 to 7:00 p.m.. Now, I like these schedules. In fact, if I worked at home and could set my own hours I would probably work on the 11 to 8 shift, because that is when I am the most productive. However, I wasn't doing that shift because I hated mornings, nor was I sleeping in until just before I went to work. I liked these schedules precisely because they allowed me to exercise in the morning or do things around the house. In May, my boss eliminated the 10 to 7 shift I was on and the last hold outs, a coworker and I, shifted to 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.. And you know what? It has been fine. I've had absolutely no problems all summer with the new schedule. My only minor complaint is that I miss extra hour at the end of the day when things were quiet to get things done in the office - but the mornings were fine.<br /><br />Then, mid October that all changed... <span class="fullpost"><br /><br />At first I thought my difficulties with mornings had to do with my busy schedule, but it didn't <span style="font-style: italic;">feel</span> that way. It felt bigger, darker somehow. I don't really have good words to describe this, but when the alarm went off in the morning, it felt <span style="font-weight: bold;">wrong</span> to get up - unnatural. I felt like I was struggling underwater, fighting to get up and get out of bed. It was starting to affect my mood.<br /><br />After my schedule eased up, but the trouble with the mornings didn't, I realized what was going on. Just a couple of months ago, getting up hadn't been a problem at all. Now it was like climbing a cliff. It had to be because of the seasonal change.<br /><br />Now there are fairly expensive ways you can combat this - you can purchase sunlamps and light boards to sit by. I also found a fabulous clock that has a lamp in it and it slowly lights up the room and wakes you with soft melodic chimes. It is fabulous and very cool... and over $200. That is just silly, when a simple digital clock costs less than $10 and I can use my cell phone as an alarm for free. Another option is to do what many older Michigan residents do - just move to a warmer state for a few months! None of these are really in my budget though, so I had to find alternatives. I really didn't like the way I was feeling and felt I had to do something about it.<br /><br />Daylight savings was last weekend and that helps some. This morning when I got up, the sky was a pale silvery gray, but there was light, and that was great to see. But let's face it, that is only a temporary fix, the days are going to continue to get shorter and January and February are long cold, dark months here in Michigan. Here are my solutions:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Get Enough Rest at Night -</span> Okay, this might seem obvious, but remember, my problems with mornings do not stem from lack of sleep. However, I don't want to compound my problems by not getting enough rest. So, I am making sure I am in bed by a reasonable time each night.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Getting Up Earlier -</span> This sounds like the opposite of what I just said, doesn't it? Here's the thing, I'm trying to get to bed in time to get 7-8 hours of good sleep, while at the same time planning on getting up a half hour earlier than I was. I am doing it for two reasons: The first is that I am finding it is much better for my body and mental health if I get up a little earlier and allow myself time to slowly wake up, than it is hitting the snooze button and getting an extra 8 (or 16, or 24, or 32) minutes of bad sleep and then having to rush to make it out the door in time. The other reason I am getting up earlier is -<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Exercise -</span> Honestly, I hate exercise, but the effects are tremendous. I am getting up and doing 15 minutes of yoga stretches and 10 minutes of light aerobics. Nothing too strenuous, just enough to get the blood flowing and the brain synapses firing. Then I am doing another (more active) hour at night. I've been at this a week now and I already feel so, so much better. I used to take yoga classes regularly, but when life got busy and I was stressed, I stopped going. Isn't that always the way? When we get stressed and life is rotten, we stop doing the exact things that are best for us, like exercise and eating well - just when we need them the most! Which brings me to -<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eating Well -</span> I have been trying to balance out my meals a little better lately. I always try to eat well, but I tend to go on kicks where I ate the same kinds of foods a lot. Currently that "kick" is having a small portion of some low fat meat and two veggies. One of the big problems with this time of year is the heavy amounts of food and calorie laden dishes. I'm trying to improve my overall health by eating well and getting a variety of nutrients. While there are some different studies showing the value of vitamins in fighting SAD, I figure whatever I can do to improve my health will help!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Drinking Water -</span> Lots of it. In part this is because I have been exercising more, but also this time of year is very hard on skin. I have very dry skin and with being inside in artificial heat, my lips and skin can crack. Lots of water helps. It also is a good beverage for the evening, because unlike many other beverages (pop, juice, alcohol) water doesn't effect sleep behavior. That doesn't mean I am cutting out my hot chocolate or hot cider with cinnamon, it just means I am trying to have them early enough that the sugar and caffeine have time to get through my body before bedtime, and I am washing everything down with big glasses of water.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Getting Sunlight -</span> This has not been easy the past couple of weeks, as we've had a lot of rain and cloudy weather, but when I can, I am opening my blinds and letting in the sun. The best place for me to do this is work, where my office gets quite a bit of light in the morning. Since Seasonal Affective Disorder has to do with the lower amount of natural light, I'm trying to soak up the sunlight when I can.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Turning on the Lights in the Morning -</span> Yes, frugal me is actually turning on lights! I am such a Scrooge when it comes to my electricity bill, but not when it comes to my mental health. I am turning on the lights in the morning as I move about the house a lot more than I have in the past. It is a psychological thing, but it helps.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Appreciating the Season -</span> The final thing I am doing is trying to take time to notice and appreciate these beautiful fall season. The leaves are mostly down now, but fall is a beautiful time of year. Winter is too. I'm trying to remind myself to be grateful for the changing days.<br /><br />How about you? Do you have Seasonal Affective Disorder or know someone who does? What tips can you give? As I said, I've been making these small changes over the last week or so and really noticed a difference, what works for you?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gato-gato-gato/">gato-gato-gato</a><br />via flickr</span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-60492901783402511142009-11-02T12:52:00.003-05:002009-11-02T13:23:24.327-05:00The Automatic Budget<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharynmorrow/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 232px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejDD_b1sgZWrxZZG-1mazI_mmhSqFZSqrvi6JP_K5iKSW8rncgBclKe7PrkaDaJrMxuzIRw8in2HqGuIlFjy_Yk3olvq5BuVAgF6YDqWEJAExib1hWUB9dCR-rol4WY49Bl06sEIJN2E/s320/money+for+bills.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399571740612882626" border="0" /></a>I haven't been writing about my budget a lot lately and I realized it's because I don't think about it as much as I once did. It took me over a year, but finally my budget is almost completely automatic! It is absolutely fabulous.<br /><br />Let's take a look at some of my monthly expenses and how I am taking care of them each month:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mortgages -</span> I have two properties, each with two loans. All of these payments are taken care of every month with online billing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Life and Auto Insurance -</span> Since my home insurance is paid out of escrow, these are the only insurance costs I have. Both have odd billing dates - the auto is semiannually and the life is quarterly. Basically what I did was add up the cost of both over the course of the year and then divide by 12. Each month that amount is set aside in a special online savings account I have just for Insurance. When a bill comes in, I just transfer over the money from the account and pay it online.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Utilities are a bit different...</span><span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Gas at the house, and both electric and gas at the cabin, are on budget plan billing so each month I owe the same amount. I have online billing just pay those three bills automatically. Electric at the house is one of the few checks I actually cut each month (though, of course, I do it through online billing.) I did it this way because this was one area where I was really working hard to decrease costs. I think I have pretty much gotten it as low as it is going to go, so I am considering doing the budget plan for this one too. It is so nice to have a set number each month - then I can just schedule to pay it and it goes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cell phone -</span> My cell phone bill is one of those ever changing bills. I have no idea why. Fortunately, it is almost always within $5 or so of what I plan on, but it is off enough that I cut this bill separately. Trash and water I treat just like insurance - I estimate the amount I will spend for a full year, divide by 12, then have a little bit put aside each month.<br /><br />In fact, that is how I handle all the rest of my bills. I have a car registration fund, car maintenance, Christmas, and emergency funds - all which take out a little each month. I hate getting surprised by bills, so this way I am ready when the time comes.<br /><br />For the two things I spend the money on the most - Groceries and Home Improvement, I have gone to the envelope system. I take $125 for groceries and $100 for home improvement out in cash and keep them in separate places in my wallet. Since doing it this way, I almost never go over, and usually I actually have money left over. The only other two things in my budget that are slightly unpredictable are Entertainment/ Dining out and Buying gas for my car. Since I started focusing on trying to only dine out with other people and making it a social occasion, I have really cut down my bill. I still miss dining alone, but having the extra money in my pocket is worth it. As for auto fuel, I always come in under budget - maybe because my budget is set too high. I still expect gas prices to rise.<br /><br />Essentially, the way my life is structured now, I know that unless I am dining out - any time I use my debit card I am outside of my budget. This knowledge has scaled down my spending a lot. When I do use the card, I know why I am doing it and how much I have to spend. Same thing with cash that doesn't come out of the grocery or home improvement funds. Doing all this may sound like a lot of work, but it means that I don't think about it during the month. I just stay on track and everything else takes care of itself.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharynmorrow/">massdistraction</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-49519132837193371792009-10-30T09:12:00.004-04:002009-10-30T10:20:08.802-04:00Easy Ham and Bean Soup - Great for Fall<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersmith/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzBce7SGPpuSjxDKO1AJ1vr3co7rXAcP-I3NHM7rxhPocpbHh947DyLQnW5aOfELghXLAFZu7BAdD79VLBYF8EJ2Pya4spElbBY-vlGG6I3n0ci5cG0Z5tyPTmX7Yijat_Ed7BenahFU/s320/beans.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398396794605716930" border="0" /></a>Before I started the busy week last week, I decided to cook up a big batch of bean soup. High in protein and low in fat, this turned out to be a healthy way to have a quick meal. Plus, once it was made, I could just heat it up and go. Here's how I made it:<br /><br />1 bag of dried beans<br />1 Ham shank<br />1 large onion<br />2 cloves of garlic<br />celery (I used some from a leftover mixed veggie tray, approximately 3 stalks.)<br />carrots (Same as above, about 3 or 4 full sized carrots)<br />2 bay leaves<br />olive oil<br />Salt and pepper to taste<br />2 smoked pork chops ( about a 1.5 pounds.)<br /><br />You can chose just about any dried beans for this, or a mix of different kinds. I used navy beans because I am particularly fond of them. There is a market here in town that has a fantastic meat department and they also carry some local produce, including Michigan grown dried beans. They cost a little more than beans at the local megamart, but I like knowing they were locally raised and my purchase supports Michigan farmers. This market is also where I got the meat for my soup... <span class="fullpost"><br /><br />This soup is really flexible, in fact, you could leave the meat out all together and go with a vegetarian option. Another choice would be to add a small style pasta at the end for a bean and pasta soup. In my case, I had gone to this market specifically for their ham, unfortunately, they were out - but they had some at the smokehouse and it would be in the next day. Frankly, that was the best answer they could have given - now that's a real butcher! Since I didn't want to wait until the next day, I got the smoked pork chops instead, and let me tell you - they were awesome!<br /><br />The first step is to rinse off the dried beans and sort through them. (Small rocks can occasionally get in batches of dried beans.) Then soak the beans overnight.<br /><br />The next day, chop up the carrots, celery, garlic and onion. Put a small amount of olive oil in a big soup pot and cook the veggies cook lightly over low heat in a little olive oil. Toss in a small amount of salt (you can always add more later, but wait until you know how salty your ham is,) some fresh ground pepper, and the bay leaves. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add the ham shank.<br /><br />Some information on ham shanks and ham hocks: Real hams have bones. This may be shocking to some of you who are used to the boneless pre-shaped kinds, but those are to ham what bologna is to steak. Artificial hams have been processed and then squeezed into a ham mold and died pink. A true ham is a cut of the hind leg of a pig. The shank is the section of the bone that ran through the ham. A hock is the sort of "handle" at the end. Ham shanks and ham hocks tend to be less expensive cuts of meat. My ham shank cost $2.59 a pound, and it was a pound of smokey, salty, hammy goodness that made an amazing broth! Now, a shank has a big bone running right through the center so there isn't a ton of meat, (which is why I bought the pork chops,) but for flavor - hocks and shanks are fantastic!<br /><br />Now drain and rinse the beans. Put the drained beans in the soup pot with the veggies and shank and add 6 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil, then turn down to medium low heat. (You want regular bubbles, but not a full rolling boil.) </span><span class="fullpost">Cook until the beans are tender. It was 2 hours for me.</span><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />One note here on cooking times - I told you what I used, but I always recommend paying attention to the manufacturer's suggested cooking times when it comes to beans, rice or pasta. They know their product best. As you get to the end of the cooking time, check regularly to see if they are done. Personally, I love these long cooking recipes because they are just so easy. I can put everything in one pot and let it cook while I go off and do other things, making sure to swing by and stir occasionally, of course.<br /><br />When the beans are tender, remove the ham shank and set it on a cutting board to let it cool. Meanwhile, cut up the pork chops into soup bite sized pieces. (Since they are smoked, they're already cooked, which is why I waited until the end to add them. No sense over cooking them.) Once the pork chop is added, cut all the meat off the ham shank, discarding fat and bone. (Hint: ham bones can be kept and cooked again to make great stock. I like to keep them in the freezer in a freezer bag until I have enough to make a new batch of stock.) Once all the meat is added, cook for another 20 minutes, just to let all the flavors meld.<br /><br />And that's it! It is fabulous with fresh pepper added at the table! YUM!<br /><br />This recipe made a ton of servings. I don't know how many, but I am guessing 10 or 12. Some I froze, but most I ate. It is a great fall soup - very warming and very filling. All told with buying the beans, chops and shank, I spent about $10. For ten servings of soup - that comes out to only a $1 per serving! The soup takes awhile to make, but once made, it was less than 3 minutes to heat it up, perfect for on-the-go meals, and so, so much healthier than fast food!<br /><br />So, what is your favorite busy week food?<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersmith/">Roger Smith</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-3730156586047300112009-10-29T09:53:00.003-04:002009-10-29T12:05:08.134-04:00First Room Completed!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/impress/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 212px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALpFdnwcvpyBtSx0RS1CDSu0YcH4maI_ZBrPmUMRiQDPjhDNfvfrgOAQquyGmiyrqfThUxWSwo9kKfQP388kdyEFWT19M_nNDczC-_k2OfOtloGhIRp5YCjRuIBEab4sXqoQMABme5lw/s320/library.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398052254385611090" border="0" /></a>When I was a teenager, I went through a phase of being a slob. What is it about that age? Is it part of establishing our own identity or perhaps a little passive rebellion? Or is it biology? Do teenagers need more sleep and therefore don't have time to pick their clothes up off the floor? Whatever the reason, the older I got, the more I grew out of it. Having my own apartment was finally what killed my slovenly ways. I pretty quickly realized that if I didn't clean up, no one else was going to do it for me! I also found out that it is a lot easier to clean a tidy house. I am not a fan of cleaning, though I like my house that way, and it seems a lot easier to take 2 minutes to put something away when I am done with it, then to spend precious hours on Saturday cleaning the whole room. This system works great... right up until I get extremely busy, and that is when my teenager tendencies return.<br /><br />So, as you might have guessed, the house took a nose dive for the worst during the week of the 19th, when I was busier than a one armed paperhanger! On top of normal home wear and tear, my freelance work was very crafty and thus I have craft items strewn hither, tither and yon. My dining room looks like an art class tornado hit it. On Thursday I decided I had had enough. The phrase "tidy room, tidy mind" kept floating through my head, and I knew I didn't have a tidy room in the house. I decided to take the time to put one room in order so I at least had one place I could sit in my house and not feel stressed out.<br /><br />I chose to work on my library. As I mentioned yesterday, library sounds fancy, but really the room is just a den. It's a small room off the dining room where I have my TV and a few bookshelves, but I love the sound of having a library, so that is what I am going to call it! In any case, when my sister moved out of her old house, I told her she's welcome to store things at my place until her new home is ready. After all, the one thing I have plenty of is space! So when the movers came by and put her yard care equipment in my empty garage stall and her furniture in my spare bedroom, they also dropped off the furniture she was giving me. However, I hadn't exactly prepared the room for new furniture, so it was sort of just crammed in there any which way. I spend a lot of time in this room, so it was the one I tackled...<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />I tried at first to kind of cheat and just move the two old chairs I didn't want out of the room and put the new furniture in, but that didn't work. The room just didn't "flow" and the bookcases kept getting the way. Finally, I accepted the inevitable - in order to make this work, I was going to have to take almost every single item out of the room and start fresh.<br /><br />So, out came the old chairs, the new-to-me furniture, the lamps and the decor. I tried to cheat on my big 6' bookshelves and only take half of the books off and then slide them to the middle of the room... but eventually I realized that if I was going to do this, I had to do it right. Every book had to come off and the shelves had to be moved out of the room along with everything else. I even rolled up the rug and took the pictures off the wall. The only thing I left in place was my TV. It is in one of those big armoir cabinets and because of where the cables and electrical plugs are, it can really only go in one place in the room. There wasn't any point in moving it.<br /><br />Once everything was out, I realized this was one of the few times I could easily deep clean the walls and floor. I swept the room (I have hardwood) and then reluctantly threw on a jacket and headed to the store. I hate leaving when I am deep in cleaning mode, but I needed some Murphy's Oil Soap to do it right. Back at the house I mixed up a bucket and scrubbed the floor "Cinderella style" on my knees. I also cleaned the windows and got out my duster with the extension pole to clean the crown molding. When I was done, I rolled the rug back out and vacuumed that. I was finally ready to set up my room.<br /><br />I've mentioned that I have been reading some design books lately; they talk a lot about the focal point of the room. In my case, the obvious focal point is the TV, so it made the most sense to put the couch facing it. This seems horribly obvious, I know, but at one point I was considering putting the couch against a different wall that would face the door. The point though, is to have rooms that are functional. If I had had two focal points - say a TV and a fireplace, I might have to really think about what I wanted to be the main area of focus, or how to make the two work together. Fortunately in this case, it was easy.<br /><br />Once the couch was in, the next thing was the bookcases. After all, what is a library without bookcases? I was trying to place furniture by size - start with the big stuff and work my way down. As I was putting the cases into place, I noticed a number of nicks and dings, so out came the Old English polish (fortunately, that I had on hand.) Eventually, after polishing the bookcases and then going ahead and cleaning each item, I got each piece of furniture in the room just the way I wanted it. One piece didn't fit though, I had a smaller antique bookcase that had been in the room, but it just didn't quite work with the new arrangement. Then I had a brainstorm! My antique bookcase is fairly formal, so I took it into my living room (which is a rather formal room) and removed from there a fairly modern bookcase, which just happens to be fairly close in color to my new-to-me furniture. (Yes, I have lots and lots of bookcases.) The swap worked great, both cases look better in their new rooms.<br /><br />Now with the furniture in, I moved to the art on the walls. I ended up swapping two pieces and moving another one over about 6 inches from where it had been hanging. Once that was done, all the books were replaced and then I started on the decorations. I decided to listen to the design experts and go with the "less is more" style. I wanted cozy and comfortable, but not cluttered. I ransacked other rooms, grabbing freely from other parts of the house and picked only things that worked with the colors and style I was putting together. When I was finally done, I sat down on my couch and looked around with pleasure. Not only was I really happy with the way things came together, to my surprise I actually have <span style="font-style: italic;">more</span> room rather than less. Why, I even have two walls now that I want to find art for. However, I am going to wait to find just the right thing - no running out to get something just because I can.<br /><br />Over the last week, the library has become my haven. It is where I read, relax, even work on projects. It is my favorite place to be. Just the other night I lit some candles, grabbed a favorite book and then closed the door to rest of the house. I never close that door usually, but that night it just felt right. As I was telling a friend of mine the other day, I am so happy with how the library came out, I actually tidy it up before I leave it. If I throw an afghan over my legs while reading a book, when I am done, I fold it and put it back. I mean, I don't worry about it if I just get up to get a glass of water or something, but every night when I leave the library I look around and make sure that everything is in its place - throw pillows are on the couch, afghan folded, coasters put away, etc.. My mother has told me that she loves her condo so much that sometimes she just sits and looks around it; I always thought she was a bit wacky. Now I am starting to get it.<br /><br />There are a few more things I would like to do with it. If I had the money, I'd love to replace the windows with some historically styled energy efficient ones. When I was cleaning them I could feel the drafts coming in - brrrrrr. (This is why I spent almost my entire home improvement budget this month on weatherproofing products.) There are also some smaller things that I can do: get the art for the walls, replace the ugly cheap brassy door knob, fix some of the floor molding, that kind of thing. But for now, I am completely happy with it. And the cost?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> $3.99 for Murphy's Oil Soap.</span><br /></div><br />That's a price I can live with! Who says home decorating has to be expensive? Of course, the downside of all this is that all the stuff I <span style="font-style: italic;">didn't</span> put back in the library is now cluttering up the dining room, and the living room is still torn up from where I took out the bookcase. In other words. every room surrounding my little haven is a disaster!! Ah well, that's what this weekend is for. I am hoping to tackle another room. I need to work in the yard, but Saturday it is supposed to rain. If so, you'll find me in my living room, hair in a ponytail and dust rag tucked in my back pocket, looking around and figuring out what to move next!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/impress/">정호씨</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span></span></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-59626414836425831492009-10-28T09:51:00.003-04:002009-10-28T11:51:10.284-04:00Three Questions for Finding My Style<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pillowhead_designs/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8nsOdUEdnRLtR07W-QSb3XZtUzqzx3PmQtmZFlLz2TEnDBHIIQTJd5S2Gnipsfnz8saUPtpAhAhcfCPgiDR3XQk0AwHbwpfWzwvyfc5o9gisYQMbzKWwpaBCMJnCtnRBBCzBpYb40Bl0/s320/home+pillows.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397677407078260674" border="0" /></a>Just before I started thinking about style and how I want my home to look, I got two offers for "Uneeda" furniture. (Uneeda as in "Uneeda chair? I gotta chair you can have.") The first was for a small dining table. I've mentioned in the past that I have an incredibly ugly dining room table. Sadly, this new-to-me lovely little table could not replace the unattractive one in my dining room. My dining room is rather large, and this is a small breakfast nook style table - sharp but not right for that room. Still, I thought I could use it for something else, so I accepted it.<br /><br />My other Uneeda furniture was a living room set from my sister. It's a couch, love seat, chair, coffee table and side tables. She'll be moving into her new house soon and wanted to get rid of her old stuff and start with something fresh for the new place. So, she offered the set to me. I snapped it up in a heartbeat.<br /><br />In both of these cases, I didn't think about it all that much before I accepted these gifts. I've always been able to make various pieces work together, and since I didn't have any real plan, I just figured I would accept them and then figure out where it'd go later. Now that I have been working hard on my home, that is going to change. When it comes to new home furnishings, whether I am buying them or whether I am getting them for free, I am going to start asking myself three important questions first...<span class="fullpost"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">1.) Does this item fit in with my home plan?</span> As I have mentioned, I am trying to figure out my style when it comes to my home. To help me do this, I'm putting together a three ring binder about what I love. It has photos from magazines, quotes and ideas from designers, and a section on the colors I want in my home. I'll write more in depth on it later, but essentially this notebook is going to be my guide to turning my house into a home. So, the first question I need to ask from now on is, does this work with what I want? Is it the right colors, the right style, the right look for what I want? Do I love it? Even if it is free, I am not going to take something just because I can. If it doesn't work, I am going to learn to say, "no thank you" and let whatever it is go to someone else - hopefully, someone whose style it is, and who will truly love it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">2.) Is it something I can use?</span> This includes all the questions like: Do I have room for it?, Is it functional?, Does it work for my lifestyle?, Will I really use it? For example, a fabulous chair that is completely uncomfortable isn't something I can use. A perfect piece of artwork - that is too big for the wall I want to hang it on, a crystal vase that gathers dust in a box somewhere, candlesticks that let wax drip all over - all these kinds of things are not only unpractical, but they use up space that could be put to better use. My goal is to make sure that whatever comes into my house is something I something I will use.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">3.) Can I afford it?</span> This one should be fairly obvious, and it is... when I am sitting at my computer thinking about finance. When I am in the store, however, that is another matter! At the same time though, I put these three questions in this order for a very specific reason. If the answer to the first two questions is yes and the last one is no, that doesn't mean I need to rule it out. It just means that I need to save up and budget for it. The last year has taught me a lot about how to budget!<br /><br />Now, how would my latest furniture acquisitions have held up? The living room furniture from my sister would have been a firm "Yes" on every question. I had the perfect place in my library. "Library" makes it sound pretty fancy, but the truth is it just a room where I have my tv and books - some people might call it a den. I, however, have wanted a library room since I was a little girl, so that is what I am going to call it, by gum! The only problem with this room is that I didn't have much in the way of seating. I had two chairs which were called "church pews" by those being generous, and "we're <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> watching movies at <span style="font-weight: bold;">your</span> house" by the less subtle. Needless to say, most of my friends found my two chairs less than comfortable! So, my sister's set was perfect. Just as importantly, it is in the colors I like, the style I like <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> it matches the walls in the room perfectly.<br /><br />The dining table is another story. The price was certainly right (free), but when I said yes to it, I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with it, and what's more, the color of the wood is far lighter than I would have picked. Fortunately for me, it worked out perfectly. I ended up putting it in the spare bedroom, where I am going to have my home office. I got rid of my falling apart, cheap-o computer desk and replaced it with this lovely table. I've always liked tables as desks - they seem so clean and tidy. (I have all my office "stuff" in a set of rolling wood drawers to the side of it.) I think the reason it works so well is that that room is painted a fairly dark taupe... with white and black splatter paint. No, I did not do it. It was done by one of the former home owners, and I see why they did it. I have a 100+ year old house with plaster walls in that room. Naturally, not a one of them is straight. The texture effect hides a lot of cracks and bubbles and wavy walls. Someday I may repaint it, but in the meantime, the room is pretty dark. The light wood of the table works perfectly in that room. I put it on a black and off white rug I had, and it came together beautifully, the whole room is now a mix of dark taupe, black and tan.<br /><br />So, in this case, my lack of a plan and the gift of a table worked out perfectly. But now I have a look for the room and so in the future, I will know what else can go in that room... and what can't. Basically, it is a level of simplicity - using just what I love and just what I can use.<br /><br />I'm very excited about redoing my home this way and truthfully, there is a level of peace that comes with it as well. There is something very relaxing about having a plan and knowing what you want to do - it certainly takes a lot of the stress out of it! <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pillowhead_designs/">pillowhead designs</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-13589132145717554392009-10-26T11:47:00.007-04:002009-10-26T12:47:31.767-04:00Sweet Dreams of You<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curiousyellow/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOA_bk1Bc66EeKBQae3vHcS-z8OGtj-KrbeNf9nAkTCsbwWeoQcFFJ9KcM_E4e8FtVauJPb6eWuvoz_S8Sj3p_QJ-mXrUVT2032RyOn2NbXrfOojyFBJgLx9gTiMFqAjnK_jBDMoog2E0/s320/dream.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396949183042060914" border="0" /></a>Last night I had a rather odd dream. I know reading about other people's dreams is usually about as boring as watching grass grown in winter, but bear with me for a moment, I'll keep it as short as I can:<br /><br />I was at a party, a kind of early afternoon, late morning brunch thing. (Those of you who have been to bridal or baby showers know the atmosphere.) A friend of mine who is quite religious got up and spoke to us about how he'd been struggling and unable to talk to God lately. He decided that the solution to his problem was to talk to friends and family about the things that were really bothering him. So he bravely stood up before us and started talking; he told us all deep dark fears in his soul and the struggles he had been going through. By the time he was done we were all in tears.<br /><br />Then he asked all of us, no matter what our region, to get into groups of four and talk about what was going on in our own lives. He asked us to be brave and pour out all the things that we had bottled up inside. Moved by his example, we all started to gather to do as he asked.<br /><br />But there was a problem. Since this was his party, it was with his friends. They were all people I knew, but few were close to me. They weren't people I wanted to talk to, but finally I joined a group... but then I <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> couldn't talk. In my group the first people to talk went on and on about their lives and I listened closely, at the same time trying to gather my own thoughts. Then when it came around to my turn, suddenly everyone got up and switched seats and formed new groups. This happened time and time again, I would sit with people, try to be a good listener, but then when my time came, the group split up. I was starting to feel pretty rotten about the whole deal.<br /><br />Then the groups started forming in 5s and 6s and so on as people who were good friends started joining up and making larger groups. They were all talking, and it went from being something deeply meaningful to just chit chatting. Over in a corner, I spotted one of my best friends sitting all alone and with relief went over to talk to him. He is a great listener and was perfectly happy to sit and let me talk, so I marshaled up all my thoughts and just then.... we were both distracted by some craziness that was happening right outside the window! Agh. I never get did get to talk. That's when I woke up.<br /><br />So what does all this mean? Well, I think it is a pretty good reflection of my week last week...<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Last week was insanely busy. (This week will also be fairly hoppin', but not nearly as bad as last.) I was working mornings at my day job, at the part time job until 1:00 a.m. each night and, at the same time, working hard on my freelance project any free moments I had in between. All the while I was also trying to get enough rest, eat well and keep my house in some sort of order. (Did moderately okay on the first two, failed utterly on the last one.)<br /><br />At the both part time and freelance jobs I work with a lot of friends, however, I've been so busy that it seems I never get a chance to talk to them. Anytime we got past, "So, how are you?" something popped up and one of us had to rush off. That's normal, we were <span style="font-style: italic;">working</span> after all, but I think the whole combination of running from job to job, trying to get tons done and not having a lot of time to relax, combined with the fact I haven't been able to write in my blog, it all boiled up in my subconscious and came out in that odd little dream!<br /><br />The truth is, life is actually going quite well. I don't have any big things bothering me, besides the usual money concerns. But I have missed being able to take a quite moment and write on my blog and read other people's blogs. I also have been thinking a lot about my friends and family and I think as soon as this last crazy week is done, I need to spend time with them.<br /><br />In other words, I've missed you all - lots.<br /><br /><br /><span class="fullpost"><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curiousyellow/">curiousyellow</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span><br /></span></span></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-45842811848625068302009-10-19T12:34:00.003-04:002009-10-19T12:39:00.086-04:00Temporarily Out...Just a quick note, I will be insanely busy this week - this is where all my part time jobs all have to be done at once (I'm even taking time off my 40 hour day job.) I am actually a bit overwhelmed by it all, but it will be exciting to see how everything turns out... and to get those checks, of course!<br /><br />I still have lots to write about, but might be scarce until next week. Have a great week all!Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-42676773163973097292009-10-16T07:12:00.001-04:002009-10-16T07:12:00.355-04:00Three Questions to Finding Your Own Style<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/srbyug/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 199px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVK21igPRPznE0a6MHS4zEhAaPG8S4zP2vHXYSrvqxNHL8_xCncZ2vHuUo0mjyrmivGTLmP0hGi6DawItO0xaOX126S8400U9A8Y9GX0awlLgO4lQJT5aCaA1bwEe_hKL1FEqNPyMjkd4/s320/living+room.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392917384908363042" border="0" /></a>At the bookstore, I put all the magazines that I didn't want back in the rack and slipped my trusty "This Old House" and "This Old House Interiors" under my arm. My graphic designer friend headed off to the art book section and I meandered over to the books on home design. One of them immediately caught my eye. It was called, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0738213128?ie=UTF8&tag=fightiforecl-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0738213128">The House Always Wins: Create the Home You Love-Without Busting Your Budget</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=fightiforecl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0738213128" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> by Marni Jameson. Well, all right! That sounded perfect. I grabbed a comfy chair and settled in.<br /><br />The first few pages had me hooked! The first chapter was all about figuring out your own sense of style and creating a plan. It was fabulous - and funny. Mrs. Jameson is very self depreciating writer and her own decorating horror stories populate the book. I enjoyed reading it so much that I ended up buying it along with my magazines.<br /><br />Since finishing "The House Always Wins," I have to admit I was slightly disappointed with it. The first and last chapters were fabulous, but the middle sections of the book were really written with a different kind of consumer in mind. In the beginning and end of the book, the author talks about finding your own look, waiting until you have the money to buy - and not settling for something you hate, just because you can afford it. She writes a lot about how to make the right decision the first time, so you don't waste time and money on things you ultimately don't like. I found all of this information incredibly helpful.<br /><br />However, in the middle chapters she goes step by step through designing the ideal home - basically from the joists on down. In other words, this book is fabulous if you were building a new house or a condo and were overwhelmed by having to make all the decisions on everything from flooring to light fixtures. She helps you build a plan. The book would also be great if you were moving into a new house and were in the process of deciding what of your old stuff stays and what goes... and what you need to buy for the new place. But for someone like me, who has a house full of stuff and not planning on moving anytime too soon, it kind of misses the boat. I was hoping for a little more on how to use what you already have.<br /><br />The other problem I had with the book was the idea of "a budget." The author and I have two <span style="font-style: italic;">entirely</span> different ideas of what that means. She seems to think nothing of hiring a $800 an hour designer to help her <span style="font-style: italic;">buy stuff</span>. Me? I don't have $80, let alone $800 <span style="font-style: italic;">an hour</span>. Now, in her defense she makes a very good point - occasionally it makes sense to pay a professional on the front end so you don't make more costly mistakes later. Hey, that is why I had a pro paint my house rather than attempting to do it myself, but with the number of consultants she called, I kept thinking, "Good grief - you're a freelance writer, so how can you afford this? What in heaven's name does your husband <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">do</span> for a living??"<br /><br />There was, however, one a set of questions in the front of the book that really set me on fire and motivated me. She suggested asking yourself these three questions...<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Who am I?<br />Where do I come from?<br />Why am I here?<br /><br />The question "Who am I?" gets at the heart of the matter and asks what you need in a house. A family of five is going to need something different than single woman, a sports lover has different needs than a book lover, and so on. Here's how I answered that question:<br /><br />I'm a single divorced woman who loves to read, cook, garden, make things and work on projects. I have a small in-home business of selling books and I blog. I am a landlord. I am also extremely busy - I have multiple jobs and I do a lot of volunteer work. I do occasionally like to entertain, but it is usually either small gatherings of close friends or my annual big holiday party.<br /><br />From this little paragraph I jotted down the following statements:<br /><br />- My home needs to be a haven - a place I feel safe and comfortable.<br />- It needs to be organized and low maintenance because I am so busy.<br />- I need good working kitchen - I need to be able to get to everything I need.<br />- I need space for art, for working on my crafts and projects.<br />- I need a workshop and outdoor storage for tools.<br />- I need a home office for my computers and my files.<br />- I need space for my book selling business.<br />- I need a place for storing and displaying my personal books, as well as places I enjoy reading.<br />- The house needs to be as energy efficient as I can make it because of my tight budget, and sound efficient as I have a tenant.<br />- Entertaining should be a component in the house, but does not need to be a main focus.<br />- I need to be able to unwind at home. I want to be able to blow off stress when I get home.<br /><br />I also jotted down some words that I want to use to describe my home:<br /><br />Elegant, comfortable, warm, cozy, beautiful, happy<br /><br />So, what did this tell me about my home? Quite a bit! Some of it was rather surprising. For example, one thing that I immediately realized is that I need to reorganize my kitchen cupboards. See, when my husband and I moved into the house, he and his daughter unpacked us. (I don't remember where I was at the time, working maybe?) Anyway, she arranged the kitchen. Then when I was separated, I just took a few things and left. My ex didn't change much either. So, when I moved in back, it was just easier to put things where they were. Essentially, I am working with a kitchen that was put together by the daughter of my ex-husband!<br /><br />Now some things make sense - the glasses are by the sink, the silverware by the dishwasher, but a lot of it does not flow well for someone who loves to cook. I am always having to crouch down or get out my stepladder. It's logical - from my ex-stepdaughter's point of view - not mine! In fact, just recently I re-arranged three drawers to make them work better with how I cook. Instantly it felt so much better and made me just a little bit happier - and it cost nothing to do.<br /><br />Keeping with the kitchen theme for a moment, the other thought that occurred to me was to get more and more off the counters. Because I am busy, I want to just wipe down the counters and go. Sure, I'll leave out the things I use every day, but other than that - I'm scaling way down. These are the things that I am really excited about. They aren't things I would have thought of, but these little changes are big to me. I remember when I first moved in thinking that I didn't like the way my ex's daughter had arranged a few things, and that I would fix it later, but out of convenience or compromise, I never did. Is it any wonder my house hasn't felt like my own?<br /><br />The next question the author's list was "Where do I come from?"<br /><br />I grew up in a home with handcrafted furniture that was made by my father and a mother who had very expensive taste in home furnishings, so I appreciate well made pieces. I am especially attracted to beautiful wood pieces in deep rich wood colors. I also have an appreciation for art, particularly local artists, and interesting objects that look handcrafted. I like things that appear to be “one of a kind.”<br /><br />For a few years my mother owned an antique booth and I spent a lot of time there, so I love 1800s Victorian furnishings - elegant, decorative, rich with detail. This also fits my home, which was built in this era. I am sentimental and like having things that were given to me around me, along with photos and other objects that remind me of loved ones. That might be part of my love of antiques - creating my own history. I like things that have a story. For example, when I look at my friend Shelly's rocking chair, I remember our first annual Ladies Garage Sale. When I wind the Grandfather clock my father built, I remember all the stories it carries - not all of them good, but all a part of my life.<br /><br />The final question on the list was, "Where am I?" and it referred to your neighborhood. The idea is that you can't change a tiger's stripes, and while the architecture of a house doesn't have to dictate how you furnish it, you may not want to do country in a New York penthouse or Modern in an old barn, unless you are very, very bold. My area is made up of older homes built mid to late 1800s to early 1900s. These are Victorian homes, frequently wildly painted, many with lots of details like gingerbread and decorative cornices. It is also an artistic community. My neighborhood has many of the newly popular restaurants, bars and shops. There is also a big interest in green technology in my area. My neighbors are a lot of college and post college aged people, as many of the homes have apartments in them. These are the kinds of people who like liking in quirky apartments and old houses.<br /><br />This last question really just solidified what I was feeling about style - blending artistic with traditional. Keeping the Victorian style, but not being hemmed in by it. It is one more step towards figuring out this whole "style-thing."<br /><br />Actually all these questions were helpful, and they pointed out a bunch of min-projects I can do, like cleaning off my counter tops, that will help make my house more functional, without spending money. If you are interested in picking up the book, you can find it here:<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=fightiforecl-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&asins=0738213128" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Before and after photos by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/srbyug/">srbyug</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Via: Flickr</span></span></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019112442705574172.post-44992591947754522202009-10-15T07:18:00.001-04:002009-10-15T07:18:00.165-04:00More on Figuring Out My Style<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maiac/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPSB63m3aaoACQ-inej3EpLWuNoCBx48qhi9ZxBO2u3sINDXXQdrJNKXhdTSMZhpXs1xeu1IfH3c44NCWFm6dG3_ftF33f9YHMhEaeiKHUO17XH1yujhOAntXs2H1aftvzCNCwOqvXh9A/s320/fainting+couch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392562984707018258" border="0" /></a>So now that I had some ideas on color, the next thing I did was walk around my house and see what other common elements leaped out at me. I envisioned one of those design boards like they have on the home design TV shows. What else would go on that tray? Metals were fairly easy for me, I like silver, pewter, copper and cast iron, but I am not a big fan of brass or gold tone metals. For example, I have a few bright brassy gold door handles that I just <span style="font-style: italic;">hate</span>. I think my problem is that when those metals are done cheaply (and boy howdy are those some cheap handles I have,) it really shows in gold tones. In comparison I also have a number of antique copper and steel colored door handles, and while I don't think they were high end when they were put on, I love them.<br /><br />I then looked at wood tones. I have pretty much every color wood under the sun in my house, from ultra bright white woodwork, to every shade of beige and brown, to deep cherry red and even black. In furniture, my taste tends to run from medium brown to black. My mother was fond of a color called "Golden Oak" and most of the furniture my father built is in that stain. Frankly, it is a bit too light for me, which takes the pale Scandinavian maples and ashes right out.<br /><br />On my tour through my house, I noticed something else as well - another common design element. I love spirals. Now, this is something I have always known, but I didn't expect to see it in my home furnishing, yet sure enough, there it was. I have spirals on the rug in my library room, and so much of my furniture has ornate, curving designs. All this was really starting to pull it together for me.<br /><br />The next thing I decided to do was to take some of Tracey's advice and go look at design magazines for photos of things I like, so I headed out to one of my favorite bookstores. The bookstore is located next to a Marshall's, and you know what? Just for fun I took one of my two store credit gift cards that I was unable to spend before. This time I went in with the shape of a plan in place. In no time I picked out three fabulous things that fit my home decor perfectly, that I love, and that are in my new colors! I know it is too soon to be shopping, really I want a better plan first, but this was kind of a mini celebration of being on the right track!<br /><br />At the bookstore I met up with a friend of mine, a graphic designer, and we looked through magazines while sipping hot apple cider in the cafe. It wasn't long before I realized something...<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Labels are kind of useless. Country, Old World, Modern... they don't really work for me. My taste is entirely too eclectic. Telling a friend recently that I liked well crafted wood furniture, they said "Oh, you should look at Mission." I replied, "I love Mission... until I don't." A Mission styled coffee table or rocker? Fabulous! I am all over it. An entire living room in Mission? Looks great in someone else's house. Or another example - I don't consider myself a fan of Country, with gingham plaids and geese, but show me a rustic wooden farmhouse kitchen table and I am in love. I also don't think of myself as being Modern, but hold up a bold colored rug with simple geometric designs and I am trying to decide if it would look best under the country kitchen table or the Mission coffee table! It's like high school, very few people could be pigeonholed entirely into the labels of jock, nerd, stoner etc. - no matter what the movies of the 80s tell us. Sure, there are a select few who are all one thing; my mom has a friend who did her <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">entire</span> house in log-cabin, as in rustic furniture with deer and moose and so on. My mom says it is cute, and I am sure it is, but most people I know have a mix - a little of this and touch of that. It is as individual as the person themselves. Just like yesterday I made up labels for my family and friends (which might not <span style="font-weight: bold;">at all</span> be what they think of themselves) I'll be making up my own label.<br /><br />That label may end up having something to do with the word "Victorian." After sorting through several magazines at the bookstore, only two had enough photos in them that I wanted to take them home, and both were by This Old House. It fits - I have an old house. It was built in the 1800s! My antiques tend to come from the early 1900s to the art deco period and late 1930s. I love the ornate look, but even though I might be willing to add Victorian to my description I won't let that limit me - I won't be covering my house in doilies. (Actually, I kind of like doilies, but they are a bit fussy. My friends tease me that I am a 90 year old woman in disguise... I think I just proved it.)<br /><br />Looking through the magazines also helped me realize what I don't like. While my graphic designer friend was oohing and aahing over bright teal walls with chartreuse chaise lounge chairs and purple couches, I kept thinking, "Not in MY house!"<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Photo by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maiac/">Maia C</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via flickr</span></span><br /></span>Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703479564503074258noreply@blogger.com0